Sen. Orrin Hatch said Tuesday that it will be very difficult to replace the Affordable Care Act because recipients will be reluctant to give up the entitlement.
Hatch said in an interview that repealing Obamacare will be difficult because “the public wants every dime they can be given.” From The Hill:
“Let’s face it, once you get them on the dole, they’ll take every dime they can,” he told CNN. “We’ve got to find some way of getting things under control or this country and your future is going to be gone.”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) blasted Hatch for saying those who need healthcare are “on the dole.”
“People who are getting access to healthcare are not on the dole. They are working families. They are, by circumstances most of us hope we don’t get into, have a very seriously ill child or spouse. This is America,” she said.
Hatch made the remarks after a meeting of the Senate GOP healthcare working group, which is crafting that group’s Obamacare replacement measure. The House passed a bill to repeal Obamacare last week.
