Republicans Press on in Health Care Repeal Effort

CBS/AP

Republicans say they will press on with efforts to repeal health care reform despite the failure on Wednesday of a Senate measure that would have been a step toward striking down the law.

"This fight isn't over," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement on Wednesday. "We intend to continue the fight to repeal and replace Obamacare with sensible reforms that would lower the cost of American health care, like medical malpractice, like selling insurance across state lines."

This debate has just begun," added House Speaker John Boehner in a statement. "We will keep our word to the American people and continue working to repeal this job-destroying health care law and replace it with common-sense reforms that lower costs and increase access without putting more Americans out of work." The House, which (unlike the Senate) is led by Republicans, has already passed a repeal bill.

Though Republicans' effort to repeal the full bill failed in the Senate, that chamber did vote to repeal one aspect of it: A provision requiring businesses to file a 1099 tax form for any vendor with which they had done at least $600 worth of business. That passed with bipartisan support, though it still must get through the House.

Barring a full repeal of the health care law - or a Supreme Court decision that it is not constitutional - Republicans said they would continue efforts at eliminating specific provisions of the legislation piece by piece.

"A real small piece of the badness was taken care of today - the 1099 - there are probably 2,000 more pieces of badness that could be gone after," said Republican Sen. Rand Paul, according to the Hill.

Paul added, however, that he thought that the decision would ultimately come down in court.

"I really think much more of this battle is judicial now than it is legislative," he said. "I've said the court case may end up being one of the most important court cases as far as restraining and restricting the size of government....It could be the most important ruling in a century."

Indeed, Republicans are pushing for a swift resolution of legal challenges to the law, which are expected to end up before the Supreme Court.

Following a Federal court decision on Monday that  found the health care overhaul unconstitutional, some Republicans are urging the Supreme Court be swift in taking up the case. (While two federal judges have deemed the law at least partially unconstitutional, two others have upheld it.)

"Presently, 28 states have filed suits challenging the authority of Congress to enact this law," Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said in a statement Wednesday. "That, in and of itself, is exceptional and makes the cases excellent candidates for immediate review in the Supreme Court."

[michiganman44]

Wow. Amazing study on what Americans think of the healthcare bill. I can't believe how many people want this bill repealed but have never read it. This survey blew my mind

http://blog.surveytool.com/2011/02/02/survey-series-v4-american-health-care/

Maybe we should MAKE our citizens read. They might actually start to understand things our government does.

[michiganman44]

Wow. Amazing study on what Americans think of the healthcare bill. I can't believe how many people want this bill repealed but have never read it. This survey blew my mind

http://blog.surveytool.com/2011/02/02/survey-series-v4-american-health-care/

Maybe we should MAKE our citizens read. They might actually start to understand things our government does.

[Wanda-in-Louisville]

The law has some great things about it, but I must agree any law which requires a citizen to have it or be fined is somewhat absurd. As long as this concern does not get in the way of creating jobs then the Congress and the Senate have my permission to continue the fight; as long as it is repeal and replace effort then do so with extreme consideration to the cost of medical care in America.

[thebob-bob]

What kind of idiot votes an anti-government, anti-tax party into power and expects them to do anything but fail to govern and borrow money?

Fear, Hatred, Distortion, Distraction and Division is all Republicans have to offer.

[Multi-Basking]

... and those are their good qualities.

[Wanda-in-Louisville]

I love you thebob-bob, this is the best description of the Republican party I have ever seen. Thank You

[GoGoUsa]

I am so tired of eating stupid. Yet stupid is in high demand and in great supply that a few more years of stupid is what we going to get.

[34sender]

I remember this last election.

I remember the promises made. So.... Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell, please tell us how you have put Americans back to work (job-reviving, how about that?) and lived up to the expectations of ALL Americans?

Guys, you ignore this and you know what the wilderness has in store for you...

Maybe you could pay as much attention to the Opinion Polling today, as much as you did to these sources back when you first fought this health care reform battle...?

Where are the "American people" now? Not with these bogus bills you are passing off as doing our "will". No way.

Stop with the "jobs-killing" crap and do some job-birthing, huh?

[retm-w]

The dems sure haven't done anything about jobs in the past two years, and they ran on the same thing.

[pasha128]

Actually the Democrats have achieved many of the items they promised. The Republicans will be content if they can manage to spend 2 more years doing absolutely NOTHING AT ALL.

[usdefender1]

Democrats spend other people's money and borrow more in our name on legislations which make laws that cannot be afforded, sustained, or be useable. Obama's government healthcare will ultimately be riscinded because it was a stupid move in the first place, but not until millions suffer the expense of surviving it. That is, if we can survive it. Charle Shumer talks about a government shutdown. This is a real possibility with things like Obamacare and other spending legislations sill in place. It won't happen because of what Republicans have advocated all along. Protecting this nation, and it citizens, or economy from self-imposed government fiscal disaster has never been important to the union run Democrats in power for so long in Congress. All they do is "mouth platitudes," and go on spending on programs that don't work!They have done us in big-time! Only the restoration of our freedoms will pull us out of this one!
Doubt the Democrats have what it takes to stop the spending...

[34sender]

You don't even know what year it is, or when the Democrats last took control of Congress -- and who had that control for a longer period of time just prior! -- how can anyone take anything you say serious?


PS -- We have an elected government, not an elected Accounting Office.

There are things just as important as spending that must be considered.

[GoGoUsa]

Did you just start paying attention and all of this is new two you. Or are you one of those Beck kind of guys where whatever is whatever.

[jabber2]

Why don't the Representatives cancel their own insurance policies? After all my tax dollars pays 70% of their premiums. They can buy insurance on the open market. These guys are such losers. I wish they would just go home and stop causing harm to citizens.

[nomossonmyrocks]

Typical rhetoric. All talk and no substance. We have reforms but we aren't going to talk about them. We don't have to. All we have to do is say that we have them and we get votes without ever saying what they are. Tick-tock, tick-tock. The American people are waiting for all of the jobs that you said that you could create.

[RickChicago1]

And that starts by removing what Obama has put in. The ObamaCare is a job killer, He has started the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide. Which is a GAS NEEDED for LIFE on this earth. And at .039 % (Less than 1%) of the atmosphere is at a lower level than is has been for a long time. Yet Liberals want to regulate it to kill some more jobs.

[34sender]

The comment above is correct, the reply is ridiculous hyperbole...