Former vice presidential candidate and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine is leading 12 other Democrats in a push to join forces with Republicans to make changes to Obamacare.
According to The Washington Times, the group is willing to work with the GOP as it tries to repeal and replace the federal healthcare law with something better. The Democrats, however, are not onboard with the speed at which Republicans are trying to change the 2010 law.
They want improvements made, but not a full repeal.
"But by pushing an immediate repeal through a partisan reconciliation process, we won't have the opportunity to work together and build on common ground," the lawmakers wrote in a letter, the Times reports. "By moving forward with no plan in place for the future of our healthcare system, those who support repeal assume the responsibility of mitigating the unnecessary and avoidable chaos this will create."
Also, part of the group is Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who generally sides with Democrats on most issues.
Democratic Party leaders blasted the GOP's plans to drop Obamacare from U.S. law Wednesday, even unveiling a new phrase: "Make America Sick Again." That is a play on President-elect Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again."
President Barack Obama met with Democrats on Capitol Hill Wednesday, a meeting at least one Democrat — West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin — skipped. He opted to attend a meeting with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, which included a discussion about changing Obamacare.
Manchin said Pence told him it is "my job … to find eight or 10 or 12 moderate Democrats and working with moderate Republicans and find a pathway forward" to "fix and repair" Obamacare.
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