Sen. Lamar Alexander opened a confirmation hearing on President-elect Trump’s top healthcare official by saying that Obamacare cannot be repealed without an immediate replacement.
Alexander tried to parse the various statements of Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on the timing of Obamacare repeal. He is chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which is holding a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Alexander said Trump wanted Obamacare repeal and replace to occur simultaneously, while Ryan went with “concurrently.”
“To me, ‘simultaneously’ and ‘concurrently’ means Obamacare should finally be repealed only when there are concrete, practical reforms in place that give Americans access to truly affordable healthcare,” he said.
