Sen. Toomey: GOP Can 'Unilaterally' Win With Obamacare Delay

Republicans can "unilaterally win the argument" with a delay on Obamacare, Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey said Monday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"I think we can unilaterally win the argument about a delay," the Republican said. "That ought to be our focus."

Republicans are moving toward dismantling Obamacare, Toomey indicated, though the approach needs to be more systematic.

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"Our strategy should be to systematically repeal the pieces we can, delay things we can't repeal, and wait for the day that we can repeal the rest. It's fundamentally the wrong direction, to put government so much in control of healthcare."

Toomey said exemptions, delays, and waivers of the healthcare law by President Barack Obama don't sound "reasonable to the American people."

"Why should the president get to unilaterally decide which parts he's going to enforce and grant employers a unilateral waiver, all kinds of waivers to various union groups, and individuals can't get a delay on this?" the first-term senator asked.

Last week the U.S. House approved a continuing resolution to keep funding all areas of the government, except for Obamacare. Facing a Sept. 30 budget deadline, this week the Senate is expected to discuss how to continue government operations.

Obamacare is already damaging the U.S. economy, Toomey noted.

"This is already doing serious damage to the economy," Toomey said. "Obamacare is extremely unpopular. No surprise. Employers are dropping coverage. Small employers are not hiring people."

Ultimately, Obamacare needs to be overhauled and replaced, Toomey said, calling the Affordable Care Act "flawed," "sloppy," and "impossible."

"This bill can't be fixed. It's built on flawed premises, internal contradictions aside, from the very sloppy midnight way it was slapped together. It's fundamentally impossible," Toomey said. "It doesn't work."