WASHINGTON (AP) -- The No. 2 Senate Republican says the GOP is intent on repealing the individual mandate requirement under "Obamacare" as part of the tax bill.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas told reporters on Tuesday: "We're going to repeal the tax on poor Americans."
Targeting the mandate in the tax legislation would save an estimated $338 billion over a decade that could be used to help pay for the deep cuts in corporate tax rates and other tax benefits under the plan.
Without being forced to get coverage, fewer people would sign up for Medicaid or buy federally-subsidized private insurance.
GOP senators took up the subject at their weekly lunch meeting, a day after President Donald Trump again prodded Republican lawmakers to include the repeal in their sweeping tax legislation.
Senate Republicans to include repeal of Obamacare individual mandate in the tax reform bill pic.twitter.com/yrHmlJudk2
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) November 14, 2017