Statement by Governor Bobby Jindal: Governor Walker's Health Care Plan is New Federal Entitlement Program

SIOUX CITY, IOWA — Governor Bobby Jindal said today that Governor Walker endorsed the "fundamental underpinning of Obamacare" and called for a new entitlement program in the proposal he outlined today to repeal Obamacare. Governor Jindal was the first presidential candidate to offer a detailed plan to repeal and replace all of Obamacare in April 2014.

Governor Jindal said, "In a health care plan that is light on specifics, Governor Walker endorsed the fundamental underpinning of Obamacare — the notion that America needs another entitlement program.

"In Governor Walker's plan, a new entitlement is created for every single American human being from the time they are born right up until they grow old and become eligible for Medicare[1]. It is frankly shocking that a Republican candidate for President would author a cradle to grave plan like this.

"Governor Walker has taken the bait laid out for him by the President, and has accepted the notion that we need a new federal government entitlement program, and now he is merely quibbling over the details. So here we are again, not standing on free market principles, but rather, establishing ourselves as 'cheaper Democrats.'

"Yes, there are good features to Governor Walker's plan. But, his plan is fundamentally accepting the premise of Obamacare — that we need a new federal entitlement program.

"I think this may be what Jeb Bush was referring to when he said we need to be willing to lose the primary. Surely we as Republicans have more courage than this. Surely we can do better than simply producing our own versions of Obamacare lite.

"In fact we can, I outlined a detailed conservative plan to repeal and replace Obamacare without a new federal entitlement program. My plan focuses on driving down the cost of health care by embracing free market reforms.

"And now for the real kicker — Governor Walker's new entitlement plan is very Washington in that it fails to tell us what it will cost. It looks to me to be roughly $400 billion dollars a year. And we all know what that means, either raise taxes or add to the debt, which is so very Washington.

"When did conservatism die? When did we accept the idea of dependence on government? Governor Walker is confused here. In his stump speech he has some clever lines about how the Fourth of July is about independence, not dependence. I like those lines. But with this Obamacare lite health care proposal, he's going to have to drop those lines from his speech."

[1] The Day One Freedom Plan, My Plan To Repeal and Replace Obamacare, Chart on Page 9, Walker for President Website,https://www.scottwalker.com/obamacare-plan/files/Day-One-Patient-Freedom...