At an Iowa town hall Monday, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Republicans would not try to repeal Obamacare if voters return them to power in the Senate in November.
"We're not going to repeal the Affordable Care Act," Grassley, 88, said in Waukon, Iowa, in response to a question.
Clarifying a few moments later that he could not speak for other GOP senators, Grassley said he personally would not want to repeal the healthcare law, despite his initial opposition to the legislation when it was adopted.
The comment came when the senator, who is running for an eighth term, was asked how the GOP planned to make healthcare affordable for Americans.
Grassley spokesman Taylor Foy told The Washington Post the senator's remarks were merely a prediction.
"While noting that he can't speak for all of his colleagues, he predicted that the law wouldn't be repealed in its entirety," Foy told the paper. "In previous county meetings, Grassley has also noted that the focus should be on how to improve the existing healthcare system, including reducing the cost of prescription drugs — a priority that he's led in a bipartisan fashion."
During the Donald Trump presidency, when they controlled all three branches of government, Republicans tried to "repeal and replace" the healthcare law several times but were unable to do so.
The Affordable Care Act provides assistance to more than 30 million Americans who need help affording health insurance.
Grassley's exchange on Obamacare came about a week after the White House celebrated the 12th anniversary of the law's passage, with former President Barack Obama visiting 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. for the first time since he left office.
"Twelve years ago, I proudly stood beside President Barack Obama as he signed into law the most consequential expansion of healthcare in generations: the Affordable Care Act," President Joe Biden tweeted. "With the stroke of a pen — after decades of tireless efforts — millions of Americans gained peace of mind."
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