Ayotte: It ‘breaks my heart’ to see ObamaCare problems

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) pleaded with President Obama to take a “time out” with the implementation of ObamaCare because she said the law is hurting middle-class families. [WATCH VIDEO]

“Call a time out, Mr. President,” Ayotte said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “It’s not working … the problem is much deeper [than the healthcare exchange website].”

{mosads}Ayotte said the Affordable Care Act’s failures are more than just website “glitches” on HealthCare.gov. She cited letters from her constituents who have said they are losing their existing coverage, no longer able to see their current doctors, paying more for insurance plans and seeing their hours cut because of the healthcare law.

“I feel terribly bad for these people,” Ayotte said. “It breaks my heart.”

Ayotte asked Obama to delay implementation of his signature law, saying the president should use a one-year delay to come up with bipartisan fixes to the law. 

She suggested that instead of a healthcare exchange, Americans should be able to purchase health insurance across state lines, increasing competition and lowering costs.

Republicans have repeatedly called for a full repeal of the healthcare law, saying it has damaged the economy and increases healthcare costs because of mandates within the law.

Democrats argue that the law has already benefited those with preexisting conditions who cannot be denied coverage, people younger than 26 who can stay on their parents’ plans and women who receive free preventive care. But even some Democrats have now said the individual mandate should be delayed because of the healthcare exchange website failures.

The administration has vowed to fix the website by the end of the month.