President Obama issued a veto threat against a House bill designed to allow people to keep health-insurance plans otherwise unavailable due to Obamacare regulations.
“With health care costs rising at low rates and choices for small businesses improving through the Health Insurance Marketplace, this bill would be a major step back,” a statement of administrative policy from the Office of Management and Budget says.
The president’s opposition to the Employee Health Care Protection Act was always certain, but it plays into the hands of Representative Bill Cassidy (R., La.) and Representative Cory Gardner (R., Colo.) who are both running against incumbent Democratic senators this year.
“The president and supporters of Obamacare promised numerous times that ‘if you like your health-care plan, you can keep it, period,’” Cassidy said while touting the bill, which he sponsored, in July. “If supporters of this law really believe in keeping their word to the American people, they should support this legislation to help millions of Americans keep the healthcare plan they like.”
The OMB statement said that the bill “threatens the health care security” of Obamacare beneficiaries.
“The Administration supports policies that allow people to keep the health plans that they have. Its transition policies allow States and issuers to do just that,” OMB said. “But, policies that reverse the progress made to extend quality, affordable coverage to millions of uninsured, hardworking, middle class families are not the solution.”