Scott Walker unveils health insurance plan

WASHINGTON — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker assailed Republicans in Congress on Tuesday for failing to repeal Obamacare while unveiling his own plan to repeal and replace the law.

The GOP presidential candidate, who has been lagging in recent polls, decried GOP leaders in Washington who have had control over both chambers of Congress since January but have yet to send a bill to President Obama getting rid of the health care law.

"I want to be perfectly clear. Americans want more than just campaign promises, they want results," he said. "Actions speak louder than words. Something I know well about. I get it, I understand it. I'm not intimidated."

Walker said if he is elected, he will send a proposal to Congress on the first day of his presidency that would repeal and replace the law with legislation that would provide tax credits to Americans of all income levels who don't have employer-sponsored insurance. Currently, federal subsidies under Obamacare are tied to income. Walker's plan would tie credits to age.

His plan would eliminate the requirement that all Americans have health insurance and also requirements that insurance cover check-ups, mammograms and other preventative measures at no cost. It would also allow Americans to buy insurance across state lines.

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"It's all about freedom," Walker said during a speech at a manufacturing company in Brooklyn Center, Minn.

Walker has seen his months-long lead in Iowa evaporate this month as Donald Trump has surged in the polls. A CNN/ORC poll taken after the first GOP presidential debate Aug. 6 showed Walker in third place behind Trump and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

In his speech Tuesday, Walker sought to differentiate himself from Trump and the other Republican hopefuls by touting his middle-class, Midwestern roots and successful battles to overhaul collective bargaining and make other changes in Wisconsin.

"I may not be the flashiest of the folks," he said. "I may not have the pizzazz of people on the East or the West Coast, but I hope you see, not just here in Minnesota but across America: I think like you think, my family lives like your family does, we want the same things that you do, and we're not going to back down."

Democrats quickly blasted Walker's health care plan, saying it would "immediately throw 19 million Americans off their health insurance."

"If this vague grab-bag of conservative wish-list items is the best health plan the GOP can come up with for the largest economy on Earth, it's the clearest signal yet that Republicans like Scott Walker are out of ideas and out of touch," Democratic National Committee spokesman Eric Walker said.

The health care law could represent tricky political ground for both sides. A USA TODAY poll in July found voters are split 45%-44% on support for Obamacare.