Meuser: Nix ‘Obamacare’ but keep 2 provisions

Daily Item (Sunbury, PA)

Oct. 20--Republican congressional hopeful Dan Meuser supports a repeal of the Affordable Care Act but wouldn't oppose keeping two of its key provisions in any health care plan that could theoretically take its place.

The GOP candidate for Pennsylvania's 9th Congressional District told The Daily Item's Editorial Board on Friday he's in favor of allowing adults to remain on their family's health care until age 25 and favors prohibiting insurers from discriminating against customers with pre-existing conditions.

"I do think the pre-existing conditions is something that should have been in health care and been a legal requirement for health insurance forever," Meuser said.

Meuser, 54, of Dallas, faces Democrat nominee Denny Wolff, 67, of Millville, in the Nov. 6 general election. The winner represents the newly reshaped 9th and essentially replaces Republican Congressman Lou Barletta, himself on the ballot in the Senate race against incumbent Democrat Bob Casey.

Montour County and eastern portions of Northumberland County including Shamokin and Mount Carmel fall within the boundaries of the redrawn 9th.

Meuser's aligned with the Trump Administration platform on immigration. He advocates for strong security on the U.S.-Mexico border and for registering illegal immigrants to enforce laws and formal pathways to citizenship.

"There's definitely nothing wrong with high fences and wide gates in our immigration policy," said Meuser, who served as Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue under former Gov. Tom Corbett.

On school security, Meuser said he's unopposed to allowing teachers to carry firearms in schools as long as they're vetted, trained and have volunteered to arm themselves.

Meuser said he supported the initiatives included in bipartisan legislation that passed through Congress this fall. It's a package of bills that The Washington Post said "creates, expands and reauthorizes programs and policies across almost every federal agency, aiming to address different aspects of the opioid epidemic, including prevention, treatment and recovery."

Meuser touted the potential impact of the warm handoff theory where an overdose victim revived in a hospital is provided education and choice in obtaining immediate assistance toward enrolling in a treatment program. He said he doesn't believe a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare" as he repeatedly called it, would jeopardize access to treatment.

When asked about the disappearance and death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Meuser said he believed the Trump Administration was working for answers and would pursue punishment against Saudi Arabia should the country's ruling elite be found responsible. Khashoggi visited the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey, and disappeared. Saudi officials confirmed Friday that Khashoggi was killed in a fight inside the consulate and said 18 Saudis were being held as suspects. The report also said a royal court advisor was fired along with others in the kingdom's intelligence service.

Meuser acknowledged the criticism President Trump received for "joking" about Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte assaulting a journalist last year, for which Gianforte was fined and ordered into anger management. Meuser said while people may dispute the appropriateness of Trump's words and mannerisms, he's more focused on the president's policies and results.

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