Coburn: Republicans should take more positive approach to healthcare

Republicans should talk about how they would change the U.S. healthcare system instead of demanding the repeal of Obamacare, Sen. Tom Coburn said Sunday. Coburn, R-Okla., the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Both senators agreed that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act has been difficult for President Obama and his administration. Asked by host David Gregory, if Republicans running for re-election next year should focus on Obamacare, Coburn called for a more positive approach. "Well, I think they ought to talk about healthcare and -- and what we're for rather than continuing to talk about what we're against," he said. "Look, Obamacare right now causes people to spend more money, have less choice, have a higher deductible and have less freedom. The roll-out and the ideas behind the fact that the federal government could manage appropriately, one-sixth of the economy is -- is proving itself erroneous. What I would ... say is we need to change healthcare, but what they've done -- you can't fix this mess. " Schumer said he believes the big issue in 2014 will be "who can get the middle class going again."