WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Facing concerns about the impact of repealing the healthcare law known as Obamacare without a replacement plan, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has suggested Republican leaders will look to accomplish both simultaneously.
Ryan held a closed-door meeting with House Republican lawmakers on Tuesday to discuss efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ryan said Republicans campaigned on a promise to repeal Obamacare and replace the controversial law with a truly patient-centered system with more choices and lower costs.
'It is our goal to bring it all together concurrently,' Ryan said. 'We're going to use every tool at our disposal through legislation, through regulation, to replace concurrent along with repeal, so that we can save people from this mess.'
He added, 'We need to make sure there is a stable transition period so that people do not have the rug pulled out from under them.'
Republicans leaders have been moving quickly to repeal Obamacare using a process called budget reconciliation, but some lawmakers want to slow down to prevent disruptions to the insurance market.
A group of five moderate GOP Senators introduced an amendment Monday to give lawmakers additional time to craft a repeal bill.
The amendment would extend the deadline for budget reconciliation instructions from January 27th to March 3rd.
In a statement, Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., noted that President-elect Donald Trump has expressed support for repealing and replacing Obamacare simultaneously.
'This amendment will give the incoming administration more time to outline its priorities after its chief health care official assumes office and fully reviews the tools currently at his disposal,' Corker said.
He added, 'By extending the deadline for budget reconciliation instructions until March, Congress and the incoming administration will each have additional time to get the policy right.'
A new Morning Consult/Politico found that most voters think Congress should not repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan.
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