Obamacare Repeal Update: Reject 'Ryancare,' Wife Of Freedom Caucus Leader Urges

Debbie Meadows, the wife of House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, Tuesday urged North Carolina Republicans to help defeat House Speaker Paul Ryan’s plan for reforming healthcare, Politico reported.

In a letter obtained by Politico, Debbie Meadows demanded complete repeal of the Affordable Care Act and warned “Ryancare” will be a “ disaster [that will] be wrapped around Republicans’ necks.”

“In a nutshell, for reasons we cannot fathom, Republican leadership is putting forth a so-called Obamacare ‘repeal’ that is not a repeal at all,” she wrote.

“Leadership is selling it as a full repeal and has convinced many in the White House that it's terrific.” But the plan, she argued, “will actually create a huge new government entitlement program and cost even more than Obamacare.”

The letter urged recipients to call Ryan’s office — without saying she or her husband asked them to call — and demand the 2015 repeal measure that made it to President Barack Obama’s desk.

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who led the charge to oust former House Speaker John Boehner, told Politico his wife had sent the missive without his knowledge.

House Republicans are at a standoff on how to handle the healthcare issue amid vociferous protests at recent town halls where constituents pleaded against repealing the ACA and polls indicating Americans want parts of Obama’s signature legislative achievement preserved.

Ryan, R-Wis., denied on NBC’s “Today” show Tuesday that Republicans just want to reform the ACA, saying Obamacare is deeply flawed.

"They gave us a system where costs went up, not down. They gave us a system where choices went away. They gave us a system where people lost the healthcare plans that they liked that they chose. That violated all the promises that were made, that were given when Obamacare was sold to the American people," he argued.

"Now we have a collapsing marketplace. We really believe we are in a rescue mission here to step in and prevent this collapse from occurring."

President Donald Trump said Monday he never realized the healthcare issue was so complicated.