2014 GA Senate debate: on Health Care

Pat Roberts: Ebola: suspend air travel between the U.S. and West Africa

Amanda Swafford: Dramatically strengthen Health Savings Accounts

We should also dramatically strengthen Health Savings Accounts. Incentives for healthcare under the current tax code should not depend on meeting special gross income thresholds engineered by Congress. And the FDA should be audited and possibly replaced with voluntary, free market groups made up of both industry and consumer driven organizations to monitor, protect and research what is actually demanded by those utilizing the goods & services produced.

Amanda Swafford: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility

Swafford: Strongly Disagree

Question topic: The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) should be repealed by Congress.

Swafford: Strongly Agree

David Perdue: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility

Perdue: Strongly Disagree

Question topic: The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) should be repealed by Congress.

Perdue: Strongly Agree

Rick Allen: No government responsibility to ensure healthcare

Allen: Strongly Disagree

Q: The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) should be repealed by Congress?

Allen: Strongly Agree

Paul Broun: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility

Broun: Strongly Disagree

Question topic: The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) should be repealed by Congress.

Broun: Strongly Agree

Question topic: Briefly list political or legislative issues of most concern to you.

Broun: As a family physician for four decades, I know firsthand that ObamaCare fundamentally changes the American healthcare system as we know it. As Georgia's next U.S. Senator, I will strongly advocate repealing ObamaCare in full and replacing it with patient-centered, market-based solutions, such as my Patient OPTION Act.

Michelle Nunn: ObamaCare would have been better if bipartisan

After MSNBC followed up to ask if she would have voted yes or no, Nunn dodged again: "I think it's impossible to look back retrospectively and say what would you have done if you were there," she said.

Nunn has been running to the center in conservative-leaning Georgia. She's likely to be pressed on the issue going forward.

David Perdue: Responsible thing to do: fix ObamaCare; don't repeal it

Rep. Jack Kingston drew criticism from conservatives after he said Republicans should improve, rather than repeal, the Affordable Care Act: "A lot of conservatives say, 'Nah, let's just step back and let this thing fall to pieces on its own.' But I don't think that's always the responsible thing to do," Kingston said. "I think we need to be looking for things that improve health care overall for all of us. And if there is something in ObamaCare, we need to know about it." Kingston later said his comments had been misinterpreted

Karen Handel: ObamaCare overreaches, but feds should address healthcare

A spokesman for Perdue's campaign said that there was no conflict in Perdue's previous support for the idea of a federal health care law and his current opposition to ObamaCare. "David supports the full repeal of ObamaCare," the spokesman said. "However, he along with many other Republicans recognize that there are issues that must be addressed at the federal level. For example, Georgia Congressman Dr. Tom Price has a great patient-centered alternative to replace ObamaCare."

Karen Handel: ObamaCare canceled my wife's policy & doubled premiums

In January, Perdue wrote in a blog post that he and his wife's health insurance was canceled and their insurance premium doubled because of the Affordable Care Act.

"We did not have a 'substandard' plan with a second rate company," Perdue wrote. "We had done our research and picked a plan that met our needs. However, our federal government, in its infinite wisdom, decided that we grandparents needed maternity coverage among other things."

Michelle Nunn: Add a tier of affordable coverage to ObamaCare

A: I am running as someone who ran an organization and understands the responsibilities and the difficulties of providing health care for employees. I also believe that we need to fix what's broken and there are clearly some things that have not worked well in the Affordable Care Act rollout. Some ideas include adding a tier of coverage for more affordability for families, ensuring that we extend the tax credit for small businesses. Here in Georgia--because we did not accept Medicaid expansion--a number of our rural hospitals are now having cuts that are really problematic. So I am running as someone who wants to fix the things that are broken in the health care system and build upon the things that are good, including ensuring that people who have preexisting conditions have access to health care, that kids up to age 26 have the opportunity to be covered by their parents.

Karen Handel: Embrace threat of federal shutdown to defund ObamaCare

Others to embrace the plan include former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel (R), former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R), who is the likely Republican nominee to run for retiring Sen. Carl Levin's (R-Mich.) seat, and Alaska Tea Party candidate Joe Miller (R).

GOP operatives say there's little downside for candidates to embrace the "defund" movement--especially those who are facing primary opponents. For Senate candidates who aren't already in Congress, especially, there's little political danger.