Josh Hawley in Meet the Press interviews during 2018

On Health Care: ObamaCare has raised premiums by 145%

JOSH HAWLEY: On healthcare, Missourians are paying outrageous healthcare costs, up 145% price increases in the state. They want to see that change. Claire McCaskill is responsible.

Q: If you get elected, are you going to vote to repeal and replace ObamaCare?

JOSH HAWLEY: Yes, I would. I think it's absolutely vital that we get rid of the failures of ObamaCare, we bring down costs, we protect people with pre-existing conditions in the law with a mandate, Chuck, that ensures that we do it, but that we multiply options for families. You know, I have had family after family, in this state, come up to me and say, "Look, we can't afford our health insurance. We're having to get a second job, send a spouse back to work." It shouldn't have to be that way.

On Health Care: Cover pre-existing conditions by mandate, without ObamaCare

JOSH HAWLEY: There are a number of ways to do it, to protect folks with pre-existing conditions. Congress should mandate it. My position is insurance companies should be required, by law, to protect folks with pre-existing conditions.

Q: Do you think that's constitutional?

HAWLEY: I do, absolutely. What's not constitutional is the requirement that people buy health insurance they don't want. But it's absolutely constitutional to say that insurers have to cover people with pre-existing conditions. Congress should mandate it. People like my own little boy, who has a pre-existing condition, should be covered under the law, but apart from ObamaCare. We don't have to have ObamaCare to do it. I think we need to clear away the failure of ObamaCare and put patients back in charge of their healthcare.