Jordan: Failure to repeal Obamacare “frustrating”

Aug. 01--LIMA -- After working to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, expressed disappointment that those efforts stalled in the U.S. Senate.

Jordan expressed that disappointment during a visit to the Lima Rotary Club on Monday at the City Club, saying that senators in Washington did not do what they told voters they would do.

"There is no other way to say it than that it is as frustrating and disappointing as it gets, not just for me, but more importantly, for the constituents in this country who elected members of Congress to do certain things," he said. "We're Americans, and so we're optimistic, and we have to get back to work."

While some members of the Senate have discussed taking a more bipartisan approach to addressing issues with health care, Jordan does not see any bipartisan efforts succeeding as long as the ACA, also known as Obamacare, remains in place.

"We have to do what we told the voters we were going to do," he said. "If we would just repeal it, then Democrats might actually work with us. But Democrats aren't going to repeal Obamacare. It's their signature legislation over the last seven years. But if we did do a clean repeal, then maybe we could come together and work on a bipartisan replacement where we get some of the things that we think are really going to help, like interstate shopping for insurance, easier formations of associations and plans, and greater abilities to use health savings accounts, and folks more on the left side of the political spectrum would be for greater Medicaid dollars and Medicaid expansion and those things. Then maybe we could put together a deal. But we can't put a deal together until we first repeal it."

Other issues Jordan discussed included his desire to implement welfare reform, requiring able-bodied adults without dependents to work at least 100 hours per month to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Jordan said his goal is to help create a sliding scale for working adults receiving benefits so they are not at risk of losing benefits all at once as they earn more income.

"The system today tells single moms, 'Don't work, don't get married, and have more kids,'" he said. "It gives all the wrong incentives, so we have to change those incentives."

Reach Craig Kelly at 567-242-0390 or on Twitter @Lima_CKelly.

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