SC’s Jeff Duncan calls for GOP to just repeal Obamacare

A S.C. congressman says Republicans should move forward with a “clean” repeal of the Affordable Care Act after the failure of a Senate GOP replacement plan.

Jeff Duncan, R-Laurens, took to Twitter Monday after two GOP senators announced their opposition to the Senate’s second attempt at repealing and replacing the ACA, or Obamacare, effectively killing the measure.

“I have supported in the past, and will support again a clean repeal of Obamacare through reconciliation,” Duncan tweeted.

Duncan noted the House of Representatives did pass a replacement bill earlier this year.

“I’ve done my part to repeal this horrible law, and the people of the third district know that,” Duncan said.

Duncan’s call followed Senate GOP majority leader Mitch McConnell’s announcement that repealing ACA without a replacement plan would be the Senate’s next objective. McConnell earlier had said if the Republican plan failed, he might have to negotiate a more limited bill with Democrats.

President Donald Trump tweeted Monday night that “Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate,” adding, “Dems will join in!”

But Trump later tweeted that Republicans should just “let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan.”

Duncan touted a 2015 repeal effort that passed the House and Senate, only to be vetoed by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat.

Duncan’s S.C. colleague, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, had a different reaction. He hoped the failure of the Senate GOP bill would give him a chance to pick up support for his own health-care bill.

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 10:30 AM.