Hakeem Jeffries hits Mike Johnson's comments on 'massive reform' to Obamacare if Donald Trump wins

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson has said Republicans won’t try to repeal the Affordable Care Act – despite saying this week that GOP lawmakers have their eye on overhauling health care.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says not to believe it.

Republicans have repeatedly tried to repeal the landmark 2010 health care law known as Obamacare, which is now highly favored by most Americans, Jeffries pointed out in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY.

“House Republicans have been obsessed with repealing the Affordable Care Act since 2010, the moment it was first enacted. It's clear as day to the American people, and that has now been affirmed by multiple members of House Republican leadership," Jeffries said. "They are determined to end the Affordable Care Act as we know it."

The landmark health care law expanded Medicaid, forced insurers to cover patients with preexisting conditions and required coverage for preventative care. It also allowed young adults to stay on their parents' health insurance until the age of 26 and implemented a number of consumer protections for people buying individual insurance.

While it was controversial when it passed, it's popular today. More than 60% of Americans have a favorable view of it.

But what did Johnson say? In a video first reported by NBC, the speaker told attendees at a campaign event in Pennsylvania Monday night that health care reform would be a part of Republicans' agenda in the first 100 days of the new Congress, should Republicans win both chambers and the White House.

“No Obamacare?” a crowd member asked Johnson after the speaker said the GOP wants to “take a blowtorch to the regulatory state.”

“No Obamacare,” he replied. “The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work, and we’ve got a lot of ideas of how to do that."

Johnson's comments have made the marquee health care law a campaign issue in the final days leading up to the election. Which party will win the House remains anybody's game, and both Johnson and Jeffries are traveling the country stumping for vulnerable lawmakers.

Democrats have pounced on Johnson's comments as an indicator the party plans to try again to repeal the law, while Johnson has said he has made "no such promise."

Johnson said Democrats have mischaracterized his remarks, and former President Donald Trump's campaign said he does not plan to end the ACA. Trump promised during his 2016 campaign to eliminate the law.

In an interview with Fox News Thursday, Johnson told the outlet "What we were talking about is we are on a continual quest to lower the cost of health care for people, to protect those with preexisting conditions... to expand access to care and the quality of care," Johnson said, accusing Democrats of "lying" about his position.

Jeffries told USA TODAY voters shouldn't believe that explanation. He cited a CNN interview in which National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Rep. Richard Hudson, said there are bipartisan things Congress can do to increase access and reduce health care costs before adding: "I agree with the speaker that we ought to take a hard look at our health care policies."

Democrats have also proposed changes to current health care law, including Vice President Kamala Harris' plan to expand benefits for at-home senior care. But Jeffries told USA TODAY that "We're committed as House Democrats to protecting the Affordable Care Act."

The most recent effort from Republicans to curb the Affordable Care Act was defeated in 2017, when Trump was president, by three Senate Republicans joining with Senate Democrats to quash the bill.

This election cycle, Trump has remained vague about his health care reform plans should he be reelected to another term.

"I'm going to keep the Affordable Care Act, unless we can do something much better," Trump said in August. "We’ll keep it. It stinks. It’s not good. If we can do something better, we’re going to do something with it if we can do better, meaning less expensive and better health care for you."

Other Republicans have continued pushing to end the health care legislation. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, reposted Johnson’s comments on Thursday and wrote: “Kill Obamacare now.”

Asked during the presidential debate in September to clarify his plan, Trump said he has "concepts of a plan" to change the ACA.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeffries hits back after Johnson says GOP eyeing Obamacare changes