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Lisa Murkowski
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)  has penned an op-ed explaining why  she  supports repealing the individual mandate. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
--Here's a positive signal for the GOP effort to pass a massive tax cut package next week:  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)  said  she  supports  its  component repealing the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate to buy health insurance. âI believe that the federal government should not force anyone to buy something they do not wish to buy  in order to avoid being taxed â  Murkowski  wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
 Murkowski  noted that  she  voted against previous GOP health-care bills that would have dramatically whittled down government health benefits in the form of marketplace subsidies and Medicaid coverage. But repealing the mandate wouldn't reduce benefits for anyone   she  wrote -- it would just allow people to opt out if health coverage was still too expensive for them.
"The ACA has helped many people in our state and across the country. There is no question about that "  Murkowski  wrote. "It is important to emphasize that eliminating this tax penalty does not take care away from anyone. Instead  it provides important relief to those who have been penalized for choosing not to buy unaffordable insurance."
"Repealing the individual mandate simply restores to people the freedom to choose "  she  continued. "Nothing else about the structure of the ACA would be changed. If you currently get tax credits to help pay for your insurance  you could still receive those credits if you choose to buy an exchange plan. If you are enrolled on Medicaid or received coverage under Medicaid expansion  you could still be enrolled if you choose to be. The only difference would be is if you choose to not buy health insurance  the government would not levy a tax on you."
This does NOT mean  Murkowski  has decided on tax bill  spox says she will review bill over Thanksgiving https://t.co/8kWLjfmcat â Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) November 22  2017
 MURKOWSKI  now wants the ACA mandate to be repealed â but  she âs not yet decided on tax reform. https://t.co/uLQLs5o6cX with @seungminkim â Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) November 22  2017
 Murkowski : ð¤
[TGT] has penned an op-ed explaining why   [TGT]   supports repealing the individual mandate. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
--Here's a positive signal for the GOP effort to pass a massive tax cut package next week:   [TGT] said   [TGT]   supports  its  component repealing the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate to buy health insurance. âI believe that the federal government should not force anyone to buy something they do not wish to buy  in order to avoid being taxed â   [TGT] wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
  [TGT] noted that   [TGT]   voted against previous GOP health-care bills that would have dramatically whittled down government health benefits in the form of marketplace subsidies and Medicaid coverage. But repealing the mandate wouldn't reduce benefits for anyone    [TGT]   wrote -- it would just allow people to opt out if health coverage was still too expensive for them.
"The ACA has helped many people in our state and across the country. There is no question about that "   [TGT] wrote. "It is important to emphasize that eliminating this tax penalty does not take care away from anyone. Instead  it provides important relief to those who have been penalized for choosing not to buy unaffordable insurance."
"Repealing the individual mandate simply restores to people the freedom to choose "  she  continued. "Nothing else about the structure of the ACA would be changed. If you currently get tax credits to help pay for your insurance  you could still receive those credits if you choose to buy an exchange plan. If you are enrolled on Medicaid or received coverage under Medicaid expansion  you could still be enrolled if you choose to be. The only difference would be is if you choose to not buy health insurance  the government would not levy a tax on you."
This does NOT mean   [TGT] has decided on tax bill  spox says  [TGT]  will review bill over Thanksgiving https://t.co/8kWLjfmcat â Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) November 22  2017
 MURKOWSKI  now wants the ACA mandate to be repealed â but   [TGT]  âs not yet decided on tax reform. https://t.co/uLQLs5o6cX with @seungminkim â Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) November 22  2017
 Murkowski : ð¤