Barrasso Discusses Obamacare on CNN’s “State of the Union”

“The President did not need to destroy a good health care system to try to make a better one but that’s what we have now.”

Click Here to Watch Sen. Barrasso.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” this morning to discuss Obamacare and how the President’s latest fake “fix” is not a permanent cure for Americans hurt by his health care law.

Key excerpts of the interview:

On Americans Losing Coverage Due to Obamacare

“I’m a lot less concerned about the President and his legacy than I am about the lives of the people in my state in Wyoming and around the country who are being hurt by the policy of this health care law. They’re losing their coverage, millions. They are being hit by sticker shock. They can’t keep their doctors. And what the President has proposed is basically a false fix. It’s a political band aid—but it’s not a permanent cure for the people that are being hurt by his policies. So it’s time to start over with trying to get people the health care that they wanted from the beginning which was affordable care from their doctor that they choose.

On the State Health Care Choice Act

“Well, you know, Candy this past week I introduced legislation, the State Health Care Choice Act so states could make decisions if they wanted to opt-out of the individual mandate or the employer mandate for the people in their states. I’m concerned about getting people health care that they need and want and can afford and we don’t have those happening with these policies.

On Americans Being Forced to Pay for Policies They Don’t Want, Need

“The website is just the tip of the iceberg, but for every one person that’s been able to sign up, 40 people have gotten cancellation letters and, you know, the President may call these junk policies or substandard policies but they’re policies that work for those people. I was with a rancher yesterday in Wyoming in Laramie, others in Lusk who have gotten these letters and it didn’t meet the President’s standards because the insurance policy didn’t include maternity coverage, but this is a woman that’s had a hysterectomy. She shouldn’t have to pay for that kind of coverage.

On Republican Health Care Solutions

“Republican solutions are there. We need to level the playing field so that people who buy insurance individually at the same tax breaks as those who buy it and get it through work. We need to be able to let people to shop across state lines for better deals with insurance that works for them and their family not something the government says they have to have.

“In terms of pre-existing conditions, my wife’s a breast cancer survivor. She’s been through three operations, chemotherapy twice. I know how critical it is to make sure that people with pre-existing conditions have affordable insurance and states are able to do that. What we’re seeing is this failed website that’s just the tip iceberg of lost coverage, losing your doctor, higher premiums and the fraud that is coming even on the Healthcare.Gov website has been remarkable and the fraudsters are out there in force trying to take advantage and steal identity of the American people.

On the Need to Start Over on Health Care Reform

“It’s time to start over. This health care law is terribly flawed. It is broken. It has failed the American people because they’re losing their insurance, they’re losing their doctor, their premiums are going up. I think there is going to be a massive taxpayer bailout needed just to deal with the impact of this health care law. This is not what the American people wanted. The President did not need to destroy a good health care system to try to make a better one but that’s what we have now.”

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