WASHINGTON – With the Republicans taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives, many new GOP representatives promise one of their first votes will be to repeal the Affordable Care Act. They call the law, also dubbed “Obamacare,” is a job killer and will add to the federal deficit. However, U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius said repealing the Affordable Care Act is a really bad idea and it won’t doing anyone except large health insurance companies any favors. The appeal would cost coverage to 1.5 million Kansans or open them up to more abuses by health insurance companies, she said. It would also strike at those young Kansans above 21 who’ve been able to get on their parents’ coverage, and those Medicare recipients who were in the “doughnut hole” and can now get prescription drug coverage. She said that despite republicans’ claims, the Congressional Budget Office says the Affordable Care Act will save taxpayers $100 billion over 10 years. Most political experts say the GOP’s attempt to repeal is symbolic and that it will likely fail in the face of a Democratic president and Senate. The new House Speaker John Boehner dismissed the CBO report.
Thursday, Jan. 6, 2:30 p.m.
