U.S. attorney general nominee open to reconsidering healthcare position

William Barr smiles during a break in his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be attorney general of the United States on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 15, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's pick to be the next U.S. Attorney General, William Barr, told a Senate panel on Tuesday he is willing to reconsider the Justice Department's current position of not defending the country's healthcare law, commonly called Obamacare, in court.

When asked by Senator Mazie Hirono, a Democrat, if he was open to reconsidering the position, Barr said "yes."

He also said that the Justice Department's decision to not defend the law, the Affordable Care Act, "is a case that, if I'm confirmed, I would like to review."

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by James Dalgleish)