Republicans Split on Using vs. Disputing Obamacare Waivers

Republicans disagree on how to handle the tumult arising from the Obama administration’s issuance of more than 1,370 waivers to the new healthcare law. Some tea partyers urge states and businesses to seek waivers, while some House Republicans question whether the White House even has the authority to issue them, The Hill reports.

And some prominent Republicans don’t like the idea of criticizing the administration and other Democrats for granting waivers to their own supporters. These Republicans are concerned that such criticism sabotages the GOP’s own opposition to Obamacare.

“When you can have a fact-based argument and win on the merits, you should do that,” Texas Rep. Michael Burgess, the second-highest-ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee, told The Hill.