Johnson Slams Health Care Bill

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) rips the GOP health care bill in  a New York Times op-ed:

Speaking at a rally for his wife’s presidential campaign last year, Bill Clinton called Obamacare ‘the craziest thing in the world.’ As he put it, ‘The people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half.’ Mr. Clinton was right, and it’s why Republicans have been pushing to repair the damage done by Obamacare for so long. Our priority should be to bring relief, and better, less expensive care, to millions of working men and women.

Unfortunately, the Senate Republican alternative, unveiled last week, doesn’t appear to come close to addressing their plight. Like Obamacare, it relies too heavily on government spending, and ignores the role that the private sector can and should play. … Republican leaders have told us the plan unveiled last week is a draft, open to discussion and improvement. I look forward to working with Senate leadership and the president to improve the bill so it addresses the plight of the forgotten men and women by returning freedom and choice to health care.

Playbook: “Johnson seems to be voicing pretty fundamental concerns with the GOP bill. His issues don’t appear to be easily solvable with a tweak or two. That is a problem for Senate Republicans.”