Johnson: 'A Little Bit of Freedom, a Little Bit More Choice'

Press Release

Senator Ron Johnson will introduce legislation this week titled "Preserving Freedom and Choice in Healthcare," with 21 other senators cosponsoring the bill. He made these comments previewing the bill during interviews last Friday with The Charlie Sykes Show on 620 WTMJ-Milwaukee and The Devil's Advocates Radio on 92.1 The Mic-Madison:

Johnson's bill is a response to the reality of the impending Supreme Court decision in the King v. Burwell case that could overturn President Obama's unlawful expansion of Obamacare subsidies to the federal exchange. "What I'm proposing to my colleagues," Johnson said, "is combining my "If You Like Your Healthcare Plan You Can Keep It' with "Preserving Freedom and Choice in Healthcare.' Here's the concept: If you like your health care plan, including Obamacare, plus the subsidies, we'll let you keep it until August of 2017."

Speaking on the details of his proposition to The Devil's Advocates Radio in Madison, Johnson said, "The reason I'm doing this is . . . we're not going to be able to repeal Obamacare right away -- either practically or political. So let's recognize that reality."

Johnson explained further: "What I'm proposing is, how about returning some of the freedom Obamacare takes away from the American public? In other words, let's stop the IRS from imposing penalties, fines -- I guess they're called taxes -- on the American public. So let's end the individual mandate -- return that freedom. Let's stop forcing Americans into part time work. So let's eliminate, repeal the employer mandate. How about let's stop driving up the cost of health care with these expensive mandated coverages? Let's return that insurance regulation to the states."

"That's all I'm asking for," Johnson said. "A little bit of freedom, a little bit more choice -- preserve freedom and choice in the American health care system. I think it's a pretty reasonable reaction to an adverse decision to the administration in the King v. Burwell decision."

"We've got to gather around a consensus plan now," Johnson told WTMJ-AM's Charlie Sykes while in studio with him Friday morning. "We may have people attacking us for not repealing Obamacare, but the fact is we're not going to be able to repeal Obamacare with President Obama in office. We have got to run an election, give ourselves time from January 2017 to August 2017 to repeal and then replace it."

Source