Unfazed, Republicans Ready Repeal Redux Post-SCOTUS Decision
Republicans on Thursday vowed to repeal the health care law after the Supreme Court ruling affirming the constitutionality of the law and are planning a repeal vote in the House on July 11. In the meantime, some states, including Georgia for instance, will hold off on implementing key parts of the law to see if the GOP is successful.
The Hill: 120 Republicans Introduce Bill To Repeal The Health Care Mandate
Just hours after the Supreme Court upheld the requirement to buy health care insurance or face a penalty, 120 House Republicans proposed legislation to eliminate the mandate. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), called the mandate a tax, since that is how the court justified keeping it around. The Supreme Court said the government had no right to require the purchase of health insurance under the Commerce Clause, but said the mandate and its penalties could stand as a tax on people who choose not to buy health insurance (Kasperowicz, 6/28).
Politico: The Republican Recipe For Repeal
Republican hopes to repeal the health care law may come down to a bank shot: A GOP sweep in November and a simple Senate majority -- along with some arcane budget procedures -- could kill the individual mandate in 2013. The House will hold a symbolic vote to repeal the law on July 11, but the real long-term strategy for rolling back the law is already under way. Republicans are stoking voter anger over the law until Election Day, which they hope will produce a Mitt Romney presidency and an all-Republican Congress. And it ends by employing budget rules that would allow a fast-track repeal with a 51-vote majority in the Senate, circumventing a Democratic minority and potential filibuster (Raju and Sherman, 6/29).
CBS News: Cantor: Health Care Repeal Vote Coming July 11
The Supreme Court gave some validation to the Affordable Care Act on Thursday when it declared the law constitutional, but House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is ready to move forward with yet another House vote to repeal the controversial law. "We know that most of the American people don't like this law," Cantor said on CBS' This Morning Friday. The House, he said will "look towards the kind of health care people want," which he said is "patient-centered." Cantor said that the Republican-led House will take up a repeal vote on July 11th, after Congress comes back from its July 4th recess. The House first voted to repeal the law in January 2011, soon after Republicans took control. The move, however, was essentially symbolic (6/29).
NPR: Undeterred By Court's Decision, GOP Vows To Repeal Health Care
Congressional Republicans reacted to the Supreme Court's validation of President Obama's health care law with a promise to repeal the law (Seabrook. 6/29).
CT Mirror: Supreme Court Decision Renews Health Care Fight In Congress
The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act has done nothing to close the chasm of public and political opinion about the health care overhaul. As hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the high court cheered or jeered the decision, Republicans in Congress voiced renewed commitment to overturn the law that is backed by Connecticut's Democratic lawmakers (Radelat, 6/28).
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Pins Hopes On Health Care Act’s Repeal
The state of Georgia, which delayed action on the federal health law in the hope that it would be ruled unconstitutional, will delay action again in the hope that Republicans win the White House and Congress and repeal the law. Gov. Nathan Deal, describing the measure as the "largest tax increase in the history of the United States," said Thursday the state will hold off on two of the most important decisions it faces — whether to go forward with a giant expansion of Medicaid and with the creation of a state-run insurance exchange (Teegardin and Williams, 6/29).
MinnPost: Supreme Court’s Health-Law Ruling Means Full Steam Ahead For GOP Repeal Efforts
The Supreme Court’s decision today to uphold President Barack Obama's health care reform law means one thing for Congress: It's full steam ahead for the Republicans’ plan to repeal it. Such a repeal is likely to fail in the Senate and would certainly meet a veto from Obama. But House Republican leaders committed themselves to a full repeal push after the court’s decision came down, scheduling a vote for July 11. Republican members of the U.S. House delegation from Minnesota have long championed repeal and reaffirmed that today, with the state’s four congressional Republicans releasing statements opposing the law. Rep. John Kline, the delegation’s senior Republican, said the court’s decision “underscores the importance of fully repealing Obamacare” (Henry, 6/28).