美国国家公共电台 NPR Poll: Most Americans Say Don't Repeal Obamacare Without A Replacement

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST: 

So Republicans in Congress are moving ahead with efforts to repeal¹ the Affordable² Care Act. They've said that's a priority. But there's a new poll suggesting that their constituents³ might not be as eager as they are to see the law go. The survey comes from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. It shows that if lawmakers don't have something ready to replace Obamacare, only 20 percent of Americans want it repealed⁵ immediately. Here's NPR's Alison Kodjak.

ALISON KODJAK, BYLINE⁶: The poll shows that Americans are about equally divided over the Affordable Care Act. Forty-seven percent like the ACA, and 48 percent want it to go. But of that second group, more than half say Congress should have a replacement⁷ ready before they vote to repeal. Kaiser CEO Drew Altman says the poll shows lawmakers don't really have a mandate⁸ to kill the law.

DREW ALTMAN: Most of the American people said they're either against repealing⁹ it or they're against repealing it unless Republicans put a replacement plan on the table. They want to see what comes next before they see the ACA repealed.

KODJAK: Senate Republicans this week made the first move to repeal the health-care law. They began debating a budget proposal that will serve as the legislative¹⁰ vehicle to repeal the taxes and subsidies¹¹ that make Obamacare work. Their plan as of now - vote immediately to kill the law and come up with something to put in its place later.

ALTMAN: Republicans in Washington are feeling much more bullish about repealing the ACA without a replacement plan than the American people are.

KODJAK: One big reason - about 20 million people have health insurance thanks to Obamacare. The Republican plan to repeal now, replace later leaves them wondering what comes next. Doctors, hospitals and patient groups aren't big fans of the repeal-and-delay strategy either. And they're making sure lawmakers know it.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: The cancer has returned.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Your son's infection has spread.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You have insurance, right?

KODJAK: That's from an ad campaign by the patient-advocacy group Families USA. It's asking people to demand an Obamacare replacement that ensures the same number of people will be covered.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Repealing health care with no plan is a partisan⁴ attack by Congress that will hurt us all.

KODJAK: The American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association are among many organizations that are asking lawmakers to slow down. Andrew Gurman is president of the AMA.

ANDREW GURMAN: Our position on repeal and replace is that we need to see what the replace part is. We think that all people in this country need to understand what it is that you're being asked to substitute for what's there now so that they can have an informed opinion about whether it's better or not.

KODJAK: Another study released today shows that repealing the Affordable Care Act could also cost the economy as many as three million jobs. That study's lead author, Leighton Ku of George Washington University, says about a third of those jobs are in health care.

LEIGHTON KU: Health care is almost a fifth that the U.S. economy. So as you begin to change this health care, there are repercussions¹² that go across all states and all sectors¹³.

KODJAK: That's because your insurance premium¹⁴ is someone else's paycheck down the line.

KU: The payments that you make to health care then become income for workers and income for other businesses. And the income they receive they pay out to their workers. And they buy more goods.

KODJAK: With jobs on the line and public opinion mixed, Republicans in Congress may find they're better off speeding their work on Obamacare's replacement and putting the brakes on its repeal. Alison Kodjak, NPR News, Washington.

[POST-BROADCAST CLARIFICATION: The audio version of this story refers to an ad campaign by Families USA. In fact, the campaign is being conducted by a broad coalition¹⁵ of 21 doctor, nurse and patient advocacy groups, including Families USA.]

1 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

2 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

3 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

5 repealed   

撤销，废除( repeal的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The Labour Party repealed the Act. 工党废除了那项法令。
• The legislature repealed the unpopular Rent Act. 立法机关废除了不得人心的租借法案。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

8 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

9 repealing   

撤销，废除( repeal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In addition, repealing the alternative minimum tax would also help. 此外，废除替代性最低税也会有所帮助。
• Repealing the investment tax credit. 取消投资税款扣除。

10 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

11 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

15 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。