Speaking to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Fox News host Jenna Lee pointed out that both Republican and Democratic analysts now agreed that continued efforts to try and repeal the president's health care law could backfire.
"Well, I think we need to repeal it, and we need to replace it," Graham insisted. "I think it's good for the Republican Party to have a plan of its own that could insure Americans without having to lose your doctor and bankrupt the country."
When Lee asked Graham for the Republican plan, he replied with general ideas about not denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, and allowing children to stay on their parents insurance longer -- both of which are already accomplished by the existing law. Graham also added that he would like to see people be able to purchase insurance across state lines.
"Your colleague, Sen. Barrasso says that the White House is actually fixing the books [on enrollment numbers]," Lee pointed out. "Do you agree with that?"
"Totally, they are!" Graham replied.
"Do you have any facts to back that up?" Lee asked.
Instead of backing up the assertion with facts, Graham asked some questions of his own questions: "Tell me how many people who signed up for Obamacare have paid?"
"Why do you think Republicans can put together a better plan to get the trust back in government?" the Fox News host wondered. "What are Republicans putting out there that says to the American people, 'No, you can trust us.'"
"I think the first thing we've got to explain to the American people is the Democrats who want to fix Obamacare have a political problem," Graham opined. "You can't fix Obamacare, you got to start over. You can take some elements I just described and build a new health care plan."
"Why hasn't a full proposal of a completely different plan from the GOP been developed, put out to the press for the press to look at and really dig into?" Lee pressed.
"I hope that comes," Graham said slowly. "But at the end of the day, we're trying to implement a law that's just failing America on multiple fronts. So, I'm in the camp of explaining to the American people that when a Democrat tells you that he wants to mend it, not end it. It can't be mended."
"Getting back to the question," Lee said, trying one last time. "What is preventing the Republicans from putting forward a real plan that everybody can look at, even before November? Is it simply the election and political pressure that's not allowing that to happen? Are you waiting for the change in the Senate?"
"I think we should have an outline of a health care plan, and that would be better for America," Graham droned. "I think that would help the Republican Party. But between now and then, our Democratic friends are trying to sell the American people, 'You can fix this Obamacare.' It can't be fixed. It's got to be torn down, and start over."
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted at least 50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act without putting forward an alternative. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said in February that Republicans would finally offer a replacement bill in the near future.
Watch the video below from Fox News' Happening Now, broadcast March 31, 2014.
(h/t: Think Progress)
