How Will the Health Care Law Influence the 2014 Elections?

10/23/2013

President Barack Obama speaking at the White House about problems with the implementation of the health care law.

From VOA Learning English, welcome to As It Is! I’m Mario Ritter.

Today, we hear about a warning that natural disasters stand in the way of efforts to end extreme poverty. But first, we talk to VOA’s National correspondent Jim Malone about politics and the recent government shutdown in the United States. We hear how the Tea Party movement is affecting the Republican Party. And we discuss how the new health care law, widely called Obamacare, could affect elections in 2014.

Will Health Care Reform Reappear as a Big Issue in the 2014 Elections

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“Welcome again, Jim. Thank you for joining us.”

“Thank you, Mario.”

“Now that the government shutdown is over. The question moves to: are Republicans going to be willing to threaten another shutdown in January when funding runs out again?”

“There has been some talk already by a few Republicans who might be interested in risking another shutdown. Mainly, they feel very strongly about the president’s health care law. It’s called the Affordable Care Act, but even the president is known to call it Obamacare.

Senator Ted Cruz has made defeat of the health care law a major political issue.