House GOP set for health care law repeal vote, but offering no alternatives

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Va., right, face reporters after a closed-door political strategy session, July 10, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. / AP

(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - House Republicans generally avoided talk of replacement measures on Tuesday as they mobilized for an election-season vote to repeal the health care law that stands as President Barack Obama's signature domestic accomplishment.

Instead, they lambasted the 2-year-old law as a threat to the nation's economic recovery and predicted some Democrats would join them in repudiating it.

"This is nothing short of economic malpractice," said Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York, citing tax increases, government mandates and other items in the law. "We can and we must do better."

She did not elaborate, nor did any of the members of the leadership in their remarks to reporters after the meeting.

CBS News Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes interviews House Majority Leader Eric Cantor about health care repeal.

Republican officials said the general reluctance to sketch any sort of alternative resulted from a desire to focus public attention on the health care law itself. It generally fares poorly in public polling, both nationally and in surveys of independent voters.

In addition, they said that while many Republicans ran on a slogan of "repeal and replace" in 2010, the rank and file is far from united around any precise alternative.

Meanwhile, as Republicans debated the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Obama continued his defense of the law, telling voters at a campaign speech in Iowa that health care reform had been, "the right thing to do."

Post-Supreme Court ruling guide to health care law
Video: Cantor explains health law repeal plan
Video: Obama defends health care law

CBS News producer Jill Jackson explains that the repeal vote, like most of the votes before, will lead to nothing as the Democratic Senate won't consider it, and even if the House and Senate somehow agreed to repeal the law, Mr. Obama has the ultimate say with his veto pen.

CBS News political director John Dickerson said the vote isn't likely to go anywhere in the Senate, saying it's a symbolic vote - but not a totally meaningless one. He said health care spending is one-fifth of the economy, along with the aging population is the largest driver of future budget deficits. "These are important discussions, even if the legislation doesn't go anywhere. The Republicans want to show voters they're still working on this law that voters dislike."

(Watch his full analysis featured on "CBS This Morning" in the video below.)

How could Republicans repeal the health care law?

Republicans in both houses have suggested numerous measures in recent years to remake parts of the sprawling health care system. The last time the party offered a full-fledged legislative alternative was in 2009, meaning that none of the dozens of first-termers elected in 2010 were involved in its drafting.

That measure called for capping medical malpractice judgments, allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines and permitting small businesses to pool together to purchase coverage for their employees.

It also would have provided funds to the states to help maintain high-risk insurance pools for people with pre-existing conditions, for whom insurance is otherwise either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.

Taken together, Republicans said at the time their alternative would have reduced federal health care costs as well as the deficit. It also shunned the government mandates at the heart of the law that eventually passed.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the GOP alternative of three years ago would have contributed to a reduction in premiums, particularly for individual policies and those covering small groups.

At the same time, the CBO, an impartial arbiter, estimated it would have left the percentage of legal residents without coverage unchanged at the end of a decade, a sharp contrast to the reductions envisioned in the Democratic legislation then taking shape.

Nor would it have required insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions or make other changes included in the law that passed.

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[angeljperea]

KEEPING IT THOUGHTFULLY HONEST: The republican's 33rd repeal clown show off Broadway continues! They voted to repeal the constitutionally Supreme Court approved Affordable Health Care Act for Uninsured Americans! It should be noted that these same hypocrites along with five "Democrats Larry Kissell and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, Rep. Jim Matheson of Utah and Oklahoma Rep. Dan Boren and Arkansas Rep. Mike Ross that are retiring in the same session refused to repeal the very same government health benefit coverage for themselves that is paid by the taxpayers! THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH IS: Boehner, Cantor, Ryan and Kevin McCarthy, our boy from Bakersfield, California, based upon their recorded legislative priorities, haven't noticed there is a need for 12.5 Million unemployed American that are asking what happen to the President's Job Bill that was introduced last September to Congress for action to create more jobs for unemployed Americans? Do you remember? Middle Class Americans will remind you in November!

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

ping

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal July 11, 2012 6:29 PM EDT
Well, Empire and Seabass had all of their comments removed. I didn't report anyone... anyone else?

Hard to play Whack-a-Mole without the moles.... BRING BACK OUR ENTERTAINMENT, dammit! ;)
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CBS - Stop taking my friends away!!! : (
sigh.......

But the whack-a-mole comment was hilarious! LOL!

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

That would only make sense George, if they kicked off EVERY conservative commenter - they don't! AND if they hadn't kicked off me!

What'd ya do? LOL!

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

Well, Empire and Seabass had all of their comments removed. I didn't report anyone... anyone else?

Hard to play Whack-a-Mole without the moles.... BRING BACK OUR ENTERTAINMENT, dammit! ;)

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

Although, to be fair, it's probably a case of Empire pressing "report" so many times, and getting himself booted when they check what HE'd been posting! He does that a lot.

[arthanyel]

If CBS removed all the commentary that was off topic, propaganda, or completely fact free, twe wouldn't have any hypocrites to hunt :-)

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

Remember Wylie Coyote chasing the Roadrunner?

Yeah thats what this is like! LOL

[Lindag20]

Roadrunner is my FAVORITE, he's on my keychain. I always loved it when he drew a black arch on the mountainside and ran though it, then when Wylie got there the arch disappeared and he hit the mountain. Hope it works like that for the GOP

[DavidKoch]

Its time somebody called FOUL in our Congress, they can spend countless hours doing NOTHING, yet collect paychecks and get Insurance and benefits, Im sick and tired of these so called legislatures acting as if ITS THERE WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. and OUR voices dont count, Who do they PAY attention to THOSE THAT BRIBE THEM THE MOST, LOBBYS, and then they ignore our emails and phone calls, ITS TIME TO STOP STALLING, Act like MEN not lazy do nothing members of congress, 31 Votes is a disgrace to Americans, if you cant do any better for our COUNTRY, RESIGN !!!!!

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

AMEN!

[Lindag20]

by seabass6251 July 11, 2012 5:09 PM EDT
That's funny, because I'm fairly certain it comes out of my account and I write the check.
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RE: SS/MC/FIICA taxes. You've GOT to be kidding!!! You claimed you owned a business. I did own a small business. FYI, the employer collects money from the employee's wages acting as the agent for the government and sends the money to the appropriate accounts. The check covering all the employee taxes collected is indeed written by the employer, but it in fact IS the employee's money that has been withheld. The employer uses their Federal Tax ID number in order for the government to track payments. Somebody other than yourself MUST actually be running your business.

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

seabass continually misrepresents himself, and keeps cramming feet into his mouth. I can't even begin to tell you what he doesn't understand regarding now insurance is implemented....

[Lindag20]

I KNOW Slow. I pinned him down the other day and he didn't like it. I couldn't resist this one as it was such a sitting duck!!!

[Dancing-in-the-Streets]

OBAMA 2012 - because he only has to do something ONCE to get it done! : )

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

by seabass6251
Who actually pays the FICA and SS taxes?

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It's taken out of the employee's paycheck as line items. So, the employee.

You know as much about employing others as you do about insurance: NOTHING.

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

Have fun, all! Back in a bit. Picking up some fresh veggies at the farmer's market. Mmmmmm!

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

by seabass6251 July 11, 2012 4:37 PM EDT
I wish everybody would pay taxes.

by RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal July 11, 2012 4:40 PM EDT
Even GE, seabass?

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Why the dodge, seabass?

[RepubsAreFiscallyLiberal]

I did check, and there was no response. Glad to hear you are more of a fiscal conservative than Empress!

[ParadoxisOK]

Most everyone in America do pay their taxes, but some seem in the top 1% tend to think that they don't have to pay taxes, instead they evade them.....not unlike Romney and his ilk. America the ugly!