{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=FCE13386-2EDE-44EA-BE56-64EECAA2B000", "Senator Barrasso Delivers the Weekly Republican Address on Repealing & Replacing Obamacare", "2016-12-03", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "WY", "John Barrasso", "B001261", "www.barrasso.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Senator John Barrasso, M.D. (R-WY) delivers the Weekly Republican Address outlining the burdens of Obamacare and that in last month\u2019s election, \u201cAmericans demanded accountability \u2013 and they voted for change.\u201d In response, Sen. Barrasso explains, Republicans will quickly act to repeal and replace Obamacare so \u201cAmericans can look forward to getting the care that they need, from a doctor they choose at lower cost.\u201d\r\nThe Weekly Republican Address is available in both audio and video format and is embargoed until 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, December 3rd. The audio of the address is available here, the video will be available here and you may download the address here. A full transcript of the address follows:\r\n\u201cHi, I\u2019m Doctor John Barrasso, United States Senator for Wyoming.\r\n\u201cIn small towns and big cities across America, families have spent the past several years struggling under the health care law known as Obamacare.\r\n\u201cLast month, Americans demanded accountability \u2013 and they voted for change. They were tired of living under a costly and complicated health care law that broke one promise after another. In a Gallup poll just this week, 8 out of every 10 Americans favored changing the health care law significantly or replacing it altogether.\r\n\u201cThe result of the election gives all of us the opportunity to take back control of our health care. Americans can look forward to getting the care that they need, from a doctor they choose at lower cost.\r\n\u201cThat means health insurance that meets your family\u2019s needs \u2013 not what Washington demands that you have. Health care that lets patients and doctors decide what\u2019s best for a family\u2019s health, not government bureaucrats. And health insurance you can afford \u2013 because honest competition lowers prices better than government regulations ever can.\r\n\u201cNo amount of tinkering or taxpayer bailouts is going to make Obamacare work. It needs to be replaced and repealed. Repeal is only the first step \u2013 it clears the path for a replacement that costs less and works better than what we have now.\r\n\u201cThe mandate that people must buy government-approved insurance will be eliminated. More than 20 Obamacare taxes will be repealed. People will have more freedom and flexibility to make their own decisions about their health care. Americans will be able to use Health Savings Accounts for the care that they believe is best for them and their families. It will be easier to buy insurance across state lines.\r\n\u201cAnd people with pre-existing conditions will be protected. My wife, Bobbi, is a breast cancer survivor, so I understand as a doctor and as a husband how critical it is that people with pre-existing conditions not lose their insurance.\r\n\u201cAs a doctor who also served as a Wyoming state legislator, I know that one size does not fit all. States are much better than Washington, D.C. at knowing what works best for their people. That\u2019s why states will get back the power to run their own Medicaid programs.\r\n\u201cOver the years since Obamacare was passed, we\u2019ve heard from people every day about how the law has hurt them personally. We\u2019re listening, and we\u2019re keeping our promise. When someone in your family is sick, you should only have to worry about their health \u2013 not about health insurance. If we work together, there is a better way.\r\n\u201cNow, many Democrats in Congress have already shown that they will refuse to help us find that way. They\u2019ve sworn to defend Obamacare, no matter what it costs you. I hope they\u2019ll reconsider, and work with us for better health care for all Americans.\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re going to do everything we can to reverse the damage done by Obamacare, and do it as smoothly as possible. It won\u2019t be easy, and it\u2019s going to take some time. But step by step, we\u2019re going to put patients back in charge, bring down the cost for families, and make sure that having health insurance actually means something this time.\r\n\u201cThanks for listening.\u201d\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=FCE13386-2EDE-44EA-BE56-64EECAA2B000"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3815290294587612, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}