WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Republicans should talk about how they would change the U.S. healthcare system instead of demanding the repeal of Obamacare, Sen. Tom Coburn said Sunday.
Coburn, R-Okla., the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Both senators agreed that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act has been difficult for President Obama and his administration.
Asked by host David Gregory, if Republicans running for re-election next year should focus on Obamacare, Coburn called for a more positive approach.
"Well, I think they ought to talk about healthcare and -- and what we're for rather than continuing to talk about what we're against," he said. "Look, Obamacare right now causes people to spend more money, have less choice, have a higher deductible and have less freedom. The roll-out and the ideas behind the fact that the federal government could manage appropriately, one-sixth of the economy is -- is proving itself erroneous. What I would ... say is we need to change healthcare, but what they've done -- you can't fix this mess. "
Schumer said he believes the big issue in 2014 will be "who can get the middle class going again."
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