Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Calif. ) said Sunday on CNN that Republicans would satisfy uneasy voters by strengthening Obamacare, but his fellow panelist Ken Cuccinelli fired back at the notion that the health care program simply needs help.
"I think the people are being heard," Swalwell said on "State Of The Union" about the debate over the GOP's health care bill in the Senate. "And I wish we were amplifying these stories two years ago."
Swalwell went onto say that those voices would make attempts to repeal Obamacare politically difficult.
"It's the people who are coming forward saying, 'This affects my son with cancer. This affects my husband's treatment. Don't charge us more. Don't take away our care,' and I think that energy is going to be leveraged in the Senate, and it's going to keep them from --"
Cuccinelli, the former Republican Virginia Attorney General, interrupted to say, "But Obamacare is why the charges are going up."
Swalwell replied, "And we should strengthen Obamacare."
"No, no," Cuccinelli interjected. "No, you don't strengthen a failure, you get rid of a failure."
The segment ended before they could discuss the matter further. Obamacare has led to declining insurer participation rates, which has been linked to rising prices and shrinking availability.