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Portman Talks Energy And Health Care In Conference Call

A new energy bill and a move to defund the federal health care law were the topics of a conference call Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio held with reporters Thursday. Nick Castele of member station WCPN in Cleveland reports.

The House of Representatives has voted dozens of times to defund or otherwise take the wind out of the sails of the Affordable Care Act. Now, there’s talk in the Senate of doing the same.

Portman said he’d support that move.

“I think the Senate ought to debate it and decide whether we would like to repeal Obamacare or not,” Portman said. “The House has voted on that. And also decide whether it’s appropriate to defund it or not. And I would support, as you know, repealing and replacing Obamacare, and defunding Obamacare.”

Portman is cosponsoring a bill with fellow Republican Sen. Ted Cruz to defund the healthcare law, but with Democrats controlling the Senate it likely has little hope of passing.

Portman is also co-sponsoring an energy bill that offers incentives for making supply chains more efficient and training workers in efficient building design. It also requires the federal government to conserve energy used by government computers.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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