[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":2790,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is pushing to keep alive the idea of including a repeal of Obamacare\u2019s individual mandate in the tax overhaul plan, even as House Republicans struggle with how to address an issue that threatens to complicate the tax debate.

At a news conference Tuesday, Cruz said it\u2019s vital to use the tax legislation to end the mandate that all Americans have health insurance or pay a penalty. If nothing else, he said, doing so will in effect be a tax cut for the 6.5 million Americans who now pay a penalty because they don\u2019t have health insurance coverage.

\u201cI think it\u2019s critical to make this end,\u201d he said of the mandate.

House Speaker Paul Ryan told \u201c Fox News Sunday\u201d that the GOP was considering adding the mandate\u2019s repeal to the bill. Repealing the mandate would raise the number of people who are uninsured and not covered by Obamacare, thus cutting federal spending on subsidies for insurance coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans have some incentive to reduce subsidy spending, because doing so is estimated to raise $416 billion over a decade, which could be used to offset tax-rate cuts.

Yet adding the matter into the tax debate could be combustible just a couple of months after a drive to replace the Affordable Care Act blew up in the Senate.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady said at a meeting of the panel on Monday that he didn\u2019t plan to include a repeal of the Obamacare mandate in his version of the bill. However, this morning he told talk radio host Hugh Hewitt that GOP leaders in the debate are listening to other lawmakers about it and that it\u2019s still on the table.

Asked about the president\u2019s position on repealing the mandate as she stood near Cruz Tuesday morning, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said that \u201cwe respect the fact that the process is ongoing.\u201d She added that it\u2019s time for lawmakers to weigh in on the policies that will be in the tax bill.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin insisted there is solid early momentum toward a broad tax plan.

\u201cNothing is more important to the president\u2019s economic agenda than tax reform and tax cuts,\u201d Mnuchin said. He added that the administration \u201ccouldn\u2019t be more excited about where we are,\u201d and that Congress appears likely to send President Donald Trump a final package by year\u2019s end.
","saveContent":"Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is pushing to keep alive the idea of including a repeal of Obamacare\u2019s individual mandate in the tax overhaul plan, even as House Republicans struggle with how to address an issue that threatens to complicate the tax debate.

At a news conference Tuesday, Cruz said it\u2019s vital to use the tax legislation to end the mandate that all Americans have health insurance or pay a penalty. If nothing else, he said, doing so will in effect be a tax cut for the 6.5 million Americans who now pay a penalty because they don\u2019t have health insurance coverage.

\u201cI think it\u2019s critical to make this end,\u201d he said of the mandate.

House Speaker Paul Ryan told \u201c Fox News Sunday\u201d that the GOP was considering adding the mandate\u2019s repeal to the bill. Repealing the mandate would raise the number of people who are uninsured and not covered by Obamacare, thus cutting federal spending on subsidies for insurance coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans have some incentive to reduce subsidy spending, because doing so is estimated to raise $416 billion over a decade, which could be used to offset tax-rate cuts.

Yet adding the matter into the tax debate could be combustible just a couple of months after a drive to replace the Affordable Care Act blew up in the Senate.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady said at a meeting of the panel on Monday that he didn\u2019t plan to include a repeal of the Obamacare mandate in his version of the bill. However, this morning he told talk radio host Hugh Hewitt that GOP leaders in the debate are listening to other lawmakers about it and that it\u2019s still on the table.

Asked about the president\u2019s position on repealing the mandate as she stood near Cruz Tuesday morning, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said that \u201cwe respect the fact that the process is ongoing.\u201d She added that it\u2019s time for lawmakers to weigh in on the policies that will be in the tax bill.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin insisted there is solid early momentum toward a broad tax plan.

\u201cNothing is more important to the president\u2019s economic agenda than tax reform and tax cuts,\u201d Mnuchin said. He added that the administration \u201ccouldn\u2019t be more excited about where we are,\u201d and that Congress appears likely to send President Donald Trump a final package by year\u2019s end.
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Cruz pushes to include repeal of Obamacare mandate in tax bill

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