STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
And let's bring another voice now into the conversation. NPR's White House correspondent Scott Horsley has been covering this debate for years and years and years...
SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: (Laughter).
INSKEEP: ...And is here with us and has been listening to Matt Schlapp. Scott, what did you hear there that was noteworthy?
HORSLEY: Well, he is right that Republicans have spent more time demonizing Obamacare than they have really selling their own plan. And part of the challenge is philosophically, the Republicans, at least in Congress, envision a health care system where the government plays a smaller role, where there is more consumer skin in the game, that is, consumers bear more of the responsibility.
They feel like that'll inject market forces and help to keep costs down. But you have a president, Donald Trump, who has been marketing great care at low costs for everyone. Everyone's going to be taken care of. So there is a disconnect between the sales pitch that the president has been making and the bill that Republicans in Congress actually drafted.
INSKEEP: This is the fundamental dilemma if you're conservative, isn't it? You sincerely believe the government really shouldn't be in this business, shouldn't be doing as much, should be offering less, but you are required by the political realities to say that it's going to offer more.
HORSLEY: And our new poll with our partners the PBS NewsHour and the Marist group say that, you know, nearly two-thirds of Americans want to either leave Obamacare as-is or have the government do more to help people. Less than a third want to repeal Obamacare entirely or see the system change in a way where the government is doing less to help people.
INSKEEP: OK. Scott, thanks very much - really appreciate it.
HORSLEY: Good to be with you, Steve.
INSKEEP: That's NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley on this morning after Senate Republican leaders said they will wait until after the July Fourth holiday recess to try again and see if they can get 50 votes plus one on repealing and replacing Obamacare. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
