Incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi predicted that the GOP will repeal Obamacare as soon as Congress reconvenes in January. | Getty Dems to hold ‘save health care’ rallies before Trump takes office

The Democratic stand against changes to Obamacare and entitlement programs will launch in earnest Jan. 15.

Leading House and Senate Democrats are calling for a national “day of action” ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, pledging to make that Sunday the Democrats’ “first stand” in what’s shaping up to be a bruising legislative battle over health care programs in 2017.


In a letter circulated to their colleagues, incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and liberal firebrand Bernie Sanders predicted that the GOP will repeal Obamacare and begin to gut Medicare and Medicaid benefits as soon as Congress reconvenes in January. They asked Democratic lawmakers to organize rallies in protest to create a national message in opposition.

“It’s important to bring the American people together to fight this radical proposal,” the Democrats wrote. “Millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump after he promised not to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. He must be held to those promises and should veto any legislation which cuts these vital and necessary health programs.”

Republicans have begun to sketch out a January agenda that begins with passing a budget resolution in the Senate, then quickly using it to repeal Obamacare by a simple majority using a procedural tactic known as budget reconciliation. The GOP has not settled on a repeal plan, though leading Republicans left Washington leaning toward enacting a repeal that doesn’t take effect for two or three years while Congress develops a replacement.

The GOP is undecided on how to handle Obamacare’s Medicaid expansions right now. Some Republicans in the House have hinted at changes to Medicare next year, and Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has proposed reforms in the past.

Democrats see an opportunity to hit the GOP for touching any of those programs. They are vowing to make Price’s confirmation vote a referendum on Medicare and hoping to court some of Trump’s voters right before he is sworn in with “save health care” events across the country.

“Rallies will be held around the country to vigorously oppose the Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it and throw our health care system into chaos,” the lawmakers wrote. “We need your help.”