Members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee are in favor of urging Congress to repeal and defund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
House Concurrent Resolution 1028 had contained a detailed history of the Affordable Care Act in South Dakota, but was amended and shortened in committee. Proponents of the resolution say the ACA is a disaster that has created problems for the nation. Some proponents say they are concerned about defunding the healthcare legislation in its entirety, because certain elements are good. But they worry about economic effects. Senator Bruce Rampelberg voted for the resolution, but questioned what will fill the vacuum created by a repeal of the ACA.
“I know that it’s one thing to just kind of throw out a challenge if you will that this should be changed somehow or repealed,” Rampelberg says. “But on the other hand, we’re so far down the road, it seems to me that if we’re going to call something to action, we should probably give some indication of the direction it could possibly take.”
Six senators voted for the resolution. Senator Jim Bradford voted against, saying the Affordable Care Act has brought health insurance to his constituents.