Sen. Johnson: Protections For Those With Pre-Existing Conditions Too Popular To Be Eliminated

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, says the protection in current federal law for people with pre-existing conditions is too politically popular to be eliminated.

But Johnson also said during a telephone town hall meeting Tuesday that he wishes Republicans had been successful in repealing the law when they had the chance. Johnson supports alternatives to guarantee coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, like a high risk pool Wisconsin previously had in place.

He said Congress “took a very poor stab” at trying to repeal and replace the law.

“I wish we would have succeeded,” Johnson said. “I thought that was a pretty spectacular failure on the part of Washington, D.C.”

Johnson said no Republican wants to touch the current pre-existing conditions guarantee “with a 10-foot pole” because it’s so popular.