Rep. Jim Clyburn calls on Democrats to take ownership of Obamacare they helped pass

WASHINGTON — Since losing control of the U.S. House in 2010, Democrats have been on the defensive when it comes to the Affordable Care Act, the health care law partly responsible for costing them their majority.

But after last week's failure by House Republicans and President Donald Trump to pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn thinks there's an opportunity for his party to press the "reset" button and sell voters anew on their landmark legislation.

"When we lost the Affordable Care Act battle, it is because we did not inform people of what they had," said Clyburn, the South Carolina congressional delegation's sole Democrat and the assistant minority leader. "We are not going to let that happen again."

Clyburn, who counts the health care law among the proudest accomplishments of his more than two decades in Congress, said Democrats have been so busy shielding Obamacare against Republican attacks that they haven't been able to explain its strengths or acknowledge its weaknesses.

Read more: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/south-carolina-rep-jim-clyburn-calls-on-democrats-to-take/article_d4e7549c-1630-11e7-a07e-8728b3fc4778.html