They may not have succeeded in repealing and replacing Obamacare, but Republicans are close to undoing the law's least popular feature. The Senate has passed a tax bill to abolish Obamacare's fines on people who go without health insurance — the so-called individual mandate. House Republicans are very likely to agree on that provision.
In the past, I've called for the fines to be abolished – but only as part of a broader legislative change to Obamacare. Just two months ago, I argued that President Donald Trump should keep enforcing the fines. My main objection concerned the separation of powers: The president has to wait for Congress to pass a bill to lift the fines. I also suggested, though, that lifting the fines without a broader adjustment of Obamacare would be irresponsible.
I've changed my mind about that point. Repealing the mandate, even as a stand-alone measure, now seems to me to pose fewer dangers than it once did.
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