Senator Chuck Grassley. (file photo)
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he got an earful during his town hall meetings over the weekend from plenty of Iowans who are upset about the nation’s health care situation.
Grassley, a Republican, says he’s upset, too, because his party controls both chambers of Congress and the White House, but can’t seem to find a solution to this important issue.
Grassley says, “It’s going to be difficult for me to answer because all weekend in Iowa I got, ‘Well, what’s next?’ and I had to tell people I’m embarrassed that we didn’t get the job done in the first place and I’m embarrassed that I can’t tell you what we’re going to do next.” Republicans have been pushing to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but those efforts have all fallen short. Grassley says he’s disappointed on a couple of levels.
“Disappointed from a standpoint of the collective responsibility of Republicans,” Grassley says. “After seven years, having all sorts of excuses until now, when we have the House, Senate and the presidency, and not being able to deliver.” Grassley says he’s perturbed that the repeal-and-replace process is even necessary and he faults Democrats for that.
“Disappointed from the standpoint of the failure of Obamacare because of the broken promises, like, if you like your doctor, you can keep it, if you like your insurance, you can keep it, your premiums are going to go down,” Grassley says. “Everything has been the opposite of what they had promised back in 2010.” Grassley says Republicans are “supposed to pick up the pieces” and they’ve been given a “mandate” by the nation’s voters to do so, yet they’re failing to deliver.