A new report says repealing the controversial Obamacare law expanding access to health insurance in the United States would add $137 billion to the federal deficit, leave 19 million people uninsured and slightly increase economic growth over 10 years.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which has the job of analyzing the economic and budget impact of proposed laws, released the report Friday.
Obamacare, which is officially known as the Affordable Care Act, was signed into law in 2010 after a major political squabble. Republicans have made many efforts to repeal the law.
The CBO report said economic growth would be increased by 0.7 percent a year after the start of the 2020s because more people would have to find jobs or work longer hours if they lost subsidies for health care costs. But that boost would fade over time, offset by the higher deficits, it said.
The report comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a challenge to part of the law. A decision is expected by the end of June.