WASHINGTON, DC — This morning, Wisconsin Congressman and House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) spoke with John Dickerson, host of CBS’s Face the Nation, about the passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and why it is critical for America to lead in a global economy. Chairman Ryan also discussed the Supreme Court’s ruling in the King v. Burwell case and the need to replace Obamacare with patient-centered solutions.
Excerpts of Chairman Ryan’s responses follow. Video of the interview is accessible here.
TPA’s passage provides a ‘glimmer of hope’ for American leadership
“The reason we had 191 Republicans in the House voting for this with 28 Democrats is because we want American leadership. We realize that trade is what we need to have to increase jobs, economic opportunity, and national security. . . . I think it was a question of if we do not do TPA, then we are on a bipartisan basis saying that our country is retreating from the world and we’re going to let other countries write the global rulebook on the global economy and we don’t want to do that. Now that we have TPA, America can be at the front of the line writing the rules of the global economy, which is in our interests, and I think that’s what we got out of this.”
Republicans remain committed to replacing Obamacare with patient-centered solutions
“I’m as motivated as ever before to repeal and replace this law and that’s what we’re working on.”
“What I really worry about with this ruling is the grave injustice it does to the rule of law. I mean so much for calling balls and strikes, I think Justice Roberts is now counting foul balls as home runs. I think they have done a great disservice to the country because they are rewriting laws at the bench. . . . I am very shocked at this ruling, but it does not deter us from actually delivering on what we really want which is affordable care for everybody and let people choose what they want to buy.”
GOP must offer specific ideas to repeal and replace a ‘fundamentally-flawed’ law
“We need to win the 2016 election and with a Republican president in 2017, replace this law with one that actually works, one that people actually like.”
“When we were debating Obamacare, Senator Tom Coburn, Senator Richard Burr, and Congressman Devin Nunes and I had a very comprehensive alternative. There are a number of alternative Obamacare bills out there right now in Congress. . . . I do believe that in 2016 we need to show the country exactly what we would replace this law with so that when we win the election in 2016, we will have the ability to do it in 2017. . . . [We’re going to get] back to working on coming up with a comprehensive replacement bill, showing the country what that looks like, how we can fix this mess, and then implement the fix in 2017.”
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