Obamacare’s Federal Subsidies

On Thursday, the Court issued a decision in King v. Burwell, ruling in favor of Obamacare’s federal insurance subsidies. I was disappointed with this ruling and believe the Supreme Court once again failed to recognize the failures of Obamacare and its impact on American families. I continue to hear from individuals and families in Texas who continue to face higher health care costs for fewer care options, and worsening job and economic opportunities as a result of this fundamentally flawed law.

We cannot give up the fight, and I am only more energized and motivated to fully repeal and replace Obamacare. Earlier this month, I cosponsored the American Health Care Reform Act. Under this new plan, written by conservative Members of Congress, after fully repealing Obamacare, we would increase access to affordable care by creating a standard deduction for health insurance—individuals with qualifying insurance receive a $7,500 tax deduction and families receive a $20,500 deduction. We would also increase competition between insurers by allowing people to shop and purchase insurance across state lines. Additionally, this plan would encourage innovation with targeted investments through the National Institute of Health (NIH) to encourage biomedical breakthroughs and cures for the most life-threatening diseases. Finally, America’s most vulnerable—including those with pre-existing conditions—would have access to care through state high-risk pools transferable across state lines. These are the kind of reform-focused solutions we need to get America’s health care system back on track.