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Washington—Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
was
joined
today
by
the
entire
Senate
Republican
Conference
in
sending
a
letter
to
President
Barack
Obama
urging
him
to
permanently
delay
the
implementation
of
Obamacare
for
all
Americans.
Last
week,
the
Obama
administration
announced
that
after
hearing
concerns
from
the
business
community,
it
will
delay
implementation
of
a
key
Obamacare
component,
the
employer
mandate,
until
2015.
“The
decision
to
delay
a
centerpiece
of
Obamacare
is
an
admission
by
the
President
that
this
law
is
too
complicated,
too
costly,
and
too
burdensome
for
American
job
creators,”
Senator
Scott
said.
“Three
years
after
it
became
law,
we
know
this
legislation
is
the
wrong
direction
for
our
country.
We
can
and
should
address
our
numerous
healthcare
challenges,
but
the
first
step
is
recognizing
that
Obamacare
is
not
working.”
In
their
letter
to
the
president,
GOP
senators
say,
“[W]hile
your
action
finally
acknowledges
some
of
the
many
burdens
this
law
will
place
on
job
creators,
we
believe
the
rest
of
this
law
should
be
permanently
delayed
for
everyone
in
order
to
avoid
significant
economic
harm
to
American
families.”
Below
is
the
text
of
the
senators’
letter.
__
July
10,
2013
The
Honorable
Barack
Obama
President
The
White
House
1600
Pennsylvania
Avenue
NW
Washington,
DC
20500
Dear
President
Obama:
We
write
to
express
concern
that
in
your
recent
decision
to
delay
implementation
of
the
employer
mandate,
you
have
unilaterally
acted
and
failed
to
work
with
Congress
on
such
a
significant
decision.
Further,
while
your
action
finally
acknowledges
some
of
the
many
burdens
this
law
will
place
on
job
creators,
we
believe
the
rest
of
this
law
should
be
permanently
delayed
for
everyone
in
order
to
avoid
significant
economic
harm
to
American
families.
In
response
to
questions
about
the
administration’s
decision,
your
senior
advisor
Valerie
Jarrett
said,
“We
are
listening,”
while
referring
to
the
concerns
of
the
business
community
over
the
onerous
employer
mandate
that
will
result
in
fewer
jobs
and
employees
working
fewer
hours.
We
have
been
listening
as
well,
and
as
more
employers
have
attempted
to
understand
your
burdensome
requirements
in
the
Affordable
Care
Act,
the
louder
their
outrage
has
become.
We
are
also
listening
to
the
views
of
the
American
people.
A
recent
Gallup
poll
from
June
of
2013
showed
that
a
majority
of
Americans
disapprove
of
the
Affordable
Care
Act.
The
same
survey
revealed
that
for
every
one
person
who
believes
they
will
be
better
off
under
the
Affordable
Care
Act,
two
believe
they
will
be
worse
off.
Opposition
to
your
health
law
is
growing,
and
it
will
continue
to
grow
as
more
Americans
realize
that
the
law
is
built
upon
broken
promises
and
will
result
in
higher
health
care
costs
and
more
taxes.
Under
the
individual
mandate,
the
IRS,
which
is
still
under
multiple
investigations
for
unfairly
targeting
conservative
groups,
will
play
a
central
role
in
the
implementation
of
the
health
care
law
in
our
country.
Last
fall,
the
Congressional
Budget
Office
estimated
that
nearly
six
million
Americans,
primarily
in
the
middle
class,
will
have
to
pay
a
tax
under
the
individual
mandate,
which
was
two
million
more
than
previously
estimated.
When
the
Affordable
Care
Act
is
fully
implemented,
the
average
individual
mandate
tax
will
be
nearly
$1,200,
which
clearly
contradicts
your
previous
statement
that
the
individual
mandate
“is
absolutely
not
a
tax
increase.”
Further,
families
are
facing
significant
increases
in
premiums.
Last
week,
the
Wall
Street
Journal
published
an
analysis
of
premiums
and
concluded
that
under
your
law
some
Americans
will
see
their
premiums
“double
or
even
triple,”
which
is
the
opposite
of
your
promise
that
premiums
will
go
down
by
$2,500
for
American
families.
Given
the
widely-held
belief
by
the
American
people
that
the
Affordable
Care
Act
will
not
fulfill
its
promises
and
will
result
in
higher
costs
for
American
families,
we
implore
you
to
listen
to
the
American
people.
This
law
is
unworkable
and
harmful
to
the
economy
and
to
American
families,
and
your
actions
to
delay
the
employer
mandate
are
an
acknowledgement
of
this
fact.
While
your
recent
action
provides
temporary
relief
for
some,
we
believe
that
all
Americans
deserve
permanent
relief
from
this
onerous
law,
so
that
we
can
adopt
common-sense
reforms
that
will
actually
lower
costs
and
that
Americans
support.
Sincerely,
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