VOA常速英语:共和党2017年优先议程：废除奥巴马医改法案

Nearly seven years after Obamacare became law, a record number of Americans have health insurance.But not everyone is happy.“Unfortunately, it’s not affordable. Everybody’s health insurance, their premiums keep going up, keep going up, keep going up.”

Large premium increases were common before Obamacare.But the law’s premise — that younger, healthier Americans would buy health care plans and offset the cost of insuring the elderly — has not panned out.

“We will repeal the disaster known as Obamacare and create new health care, all sorts of reforms that work for you and your family.”

Democrats insist Obamacare can be saved rather than scrapped.“We want to try to improve the bill.We know it could be improved.”“Doing nothing is not an option.”

For years, Republicans promised to end Obamacare.Once Trump is president, they believe they will have their chance.

“We will move right after the first year on an Obamacare replacement resolution.And then we will work expeditiously to come up with a better proposal than current law.”

Democrats note that, so far, Republicans have not provided exact details of their replacement plan. “What do you want to replace it with? They [Republicans] can’t come up with an answer.So we’re certainly not going to be part of this idea of repeal and put nothing in its place.”

Democrats are betting any Republican plan to replace Obamacare will anger just as many Americans as Obamacare itself. “To our Republican friends across the aisle: bring it on [show the plan].”

Health care spending accounts for more than 17 percent of U.S. gross domestic product — the most of any advanced industrialized nation.

Michael Bowman, VOA News, Washington.