Democrats are attempting to sway Republican leaders from voting in favor of the Senate healthcare bill. Sen. Claire McCaskill calling the bill "morally offensive." Some local Republicans agree that this specific bill may not be the right answer.
The latest draft of healthcare reform would mean a lot of changes for many Americans. Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill says it’s not the answer.
“I do think this is a crisis, and I think it’s all hands on deck,” said McCaskill.
McCaskill met with Kansas City healthcare leaders Saturday to discuss how the passing of the bill would affect Missourians.
“It is going to make insurance more expensive. It’s going to throw millions of people off the insured roles, it’s going to gut the Medicaid program,” said McCaskill.
The senator is proposing congressional leaders work together to fix the kinks in Obamacare.
“We can go back to the drawing board and work together and fix the problems in the Affordable Care Act,” she said.
Olathe Republicans gathered today for their annual picnic, they say that getting rid of the Affordable Care Act is the only option.
“Everyone in the Republican Party that I have talked to want full repeal of Obamacare,” said David Lightner, chair of the Olathe Republican Party.
"My son’s policy went from fifty dollars to almost three hundred dollars. So if that happened to you and then your deductible went up, you would just want it repealed,” said Beverly Gossage, Republican and insurance expert.
The Kansas Republicans feel strongly about repeal, but less strongly about the bill that’s on the table.
“No, people in Kansas are not happy about the Senate bill,” said Gossage.
Gossage recommends we completely pull the plug on federal control when it comes to healthcare.
“We want it to come back to Kansas and let us do it right. Let us show America how we can get those rates back down and get more people insured,” said Gossage.
Either way, it’s clear that this bill is not the one either party at the local level was hoping for.
