Repeal of Obamacare without a replacement not 'politically palatable,' Sanford says

The issues surrounding repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act were the chief subject of discussion as Rep. Mark Sanford spoke and then took questions from the crowd at Monday’s meeting of the Hilton Head Island 1st Monday Republican Lunch Group at Aunt Chilada’s Easy Street Cafe.

After addressing the issue in his speech, along with a variety of other issues of local interest, questions on the appeal of Obamacare and what will replace it dominated the question-and-answer session that followed.

“It is a hot-button issue,” Sanford said, “which is why Congress is a reflection of, ultimately, all of us and hasn’t been able to get its arms around it either. ...

“I think we’ll get there, but we’ve still got a ways to go.”

Speaking to the media afterward, Sanford said he is against the idea recently proposed by President Donald Trump that Congress should simply repeal the Affordable Care Act if coming up with a replacement becomes too difficult.

“The idea of simple repeal, I don’t think is politically palatable,” he said.

Sanford’s appearance was one of several he made on Monday throughout the S.C. 1st Congressional District. Earlier, he hosted a Coffee with a Congressman event in Beaufort and talked with constituents at Heauser Ace Hardware in Bluffton.

This story was originally published July 11, 2017 at 7:52 AM with the headline "Repeal of Obamacare without a replacement not 'politically palatable,' Sanford says."