Scott Walker: "No doubt" striking down health law would help economy

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

(CBS News) Should the Supreme Court overturn President Obama's health care law this month, there's "no doubt it would provide greater stability for employers," Wisconsin's Republican Gov. Scott Walker said in Washington Wednesday.

Still, the controversial governor added, "[e]ven if that were to happen, we can't go back to the way things were before."

Walker was one of a handful of governors who were in Washington for a jobs summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. All agreed that the looming court case is part of the current "uncertainty" in the market inhibiting economic growth.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, a Republican, said he'd prefer for the court to overturn the law -- as long as it overturns all of it.

"I hope they either rule it constitutional or rule it unconstitutional -- anything in between will create more uncertainty, more complexity," the governor said.

The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its ruling by the end of this month. It could choose to uphold the law, reject the entire package or reject parts of it, including the requirement for all Americans to purchase insurance.

Heineman said that if the court rejected parts of the law, other elements would be left in place without the appropriate federal funding, such as expanded state Medicaid requirements.

Democratic Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware said his state is moving forward with implementing the state requirements.

"No one thought that the status quo before the Affordable Care Act was acceptable," he said. "If the Supreme Court rules against it, it's not like we can't go back to the way it was -- the way it was was miserable for employers."

Walker said the federal government has a role to play in health care reform by enforcing transparency in the market.

"The more we make things transparent, the better off we are," he said.

Under President Obama's law, each state is required to set up an "exchange," or transparent marketplace from which consumers can compare and purchase insurance plans. At least 17 states, according to the Washington Post, have been working to build the exchanges. Some Republican-led states have delayed the process, awaiting the Supreme Court's decision. Under the law, if a state doesn't have its exchange set up by 2013, the federal government will run it for them.

[infantryman1968]

by TimeToEvolve June 15, 2012 7:28 PM EDT

Have you heard even one idea yet about this? Cut more taxes on the rich?


LOL!


You and Obama have extended the Bush Tax Cuts 3 times in the past 3 1/2 years......

The Irony.

[marychgo]

Actually, Obama extended the Bush tax cuts ONCE, in December 2010, to convince Republicans to extend unemployment benefits and other economic stimulants. He supports extending those tax cuts ONLY for those who earn up to $200K (single) or $250K (couple).

[syofie]

The only thing that will help our economy is not to vote any more of those evil Republicons back into office. Remember, Democrat Clinton left Republicons Bush-Cheney, etc. a huge record surplus, 23 million new jobs created, $1.30 gal gas, a very solvent social security trust fund, etc. etc., and Bush-Cheney and their Republicon cohorts squandered all this on their illegal war in Iraq (all to help Cheney's Halliburton and other defense contractors rip the American people off), tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulations of Wall Street and Big Oil, etc. etc. and they left Obama a catastrophic mess (The Great Recession). Obama is doing a fantastic job turning things around but it takes time, like it took Democrat Roosevelt years to get us out of the Great Recession that Republicon Hoover and the Republicons left him. Just don't vote those evil Republicons back into office if you really love your country. All they care about is the wealthy. When Bush stole the election from Gore by those 5 Republicons on the US Supreme Court stopping the count in Florida, it showed that we do not have a democracy here in our precious country -- we have an oligarchy (rule by the 1%). What a pity.

[[e-mail]]

Where to start. Let's see. Gas was <$2.00 In Jan 2009. No changes have been made to SS other than a lot more folks retiring. Big oil's subsidies predate 2000.

Agree on the war costs.

Annual budget deficits were Averaging $400B in Bush years before Pelosi-Reid took over. Has averaged $1.3B for 2010-12. So everyone sucks on that one.

Last thing. Please define "fantastic" as it relates to the job the Pres is doing.

[TimeToEvolve]

by jcros98 June 15, 2012 10:26 PM EDT
Walker saved Wisconsin from bankruptcy, due to unions ripping off the taxpayers from their absurd wage and pension demands.

But you are not concerned about the absurd "wages", bonuses and compensation of the Wall Street CEOs. From what I know, the unions have compromised and have sacrificed to help the only state they live and work in.

But when you give massive tax breaks to the rich for your campaign kickbacks like Walker did, it seems that only the workers need to comprise right? Not the millionaires and billionaires, the job deleters.

[TimeToEvolve]

What does this idiot Koch Brothers puppet Walker know about anything? He has already shown he a typical Republicon who lies and buys himself into office and then proceeds to do everything he can to destroy American workers and their families. A typical right wing trickle down wacko. None of that garbage has EVER worked.

[jcros98]

Walker saved Wisconsin from bankruptcy, due to unions ripping off the taxpayers from their absurd wage and pension demands. They were 300 million in the hole, now they are 200 million positive. Unions buy their stooges into office everyday, then give them kickbacks in the form of political contributions to further the scam. It is the unions who are forcing states to lay off public workers, because they have no money! The public sector gets money from the private sector--you know, the sector you hate! Wake up!

[catmomtx]

But he is willing to allow more average Americans to go into bankruptcy because of out of control medical bills? I don't ubnnderstand how striking down a law that isn't totally in place now will help the economy. Whose economy? The very business owners who aren't hiring now?

[playsoftball101]

The Blamer and Chief is too busy buying votes today bypassing Congress to worry about our jobs! Saddest POTUS in history although that peanut farmer in GA has a big smile.

[TimeToEvolve]

Well, the Republicons in Congress made their agenda to make America fail so that Obama would look bad. They never had and never will have ANY idea how to run a country.

[catmomtx]

That is hardly true considering more private sector jobs have been created under President Obama in three years than under Bush in eight. besides, it is Republican Governors who are causing the increase in unemployment by firing public employees. I don't know why you people don't seem to understand that by laying off and firing public employees you are raising the unemployment numbers and now rather than your tax dollars going to pay people to do a job, you are now paying them unemployment to sit at home. And the nest thing we will hear about is how pitiful your city and state services are. think about it.

[RushBabe1]

Mitt Romney will bring back jobs. Our economy will bloom..

vote Mitt 2012

[TimeToEvolve]

Have you heard even one idea yet about this? Cut more taxes on the rich?

[marychgo]

Mitt Romney's economic plan is simply George Bush's plan on steroids. And look how well that worked! (Hint: lowest job creation rate in generations....)

[RushBabe1]

Of course, without a doubt taking away obamaScare will help our economy.
Who would think otherwise?

[marychgo]

I know Rush and Fox are telling you all that "Obamacare" is the reason those corporations with millions in their bank accounts aren't hiring; the problem is they're WRONG. More specifically, the firm Romney touted as an example of the awful problems "Obamacare" is causing for American businesses -- a chair manufacturing unit of Herman Miller -- declared very specifically that its problem was not the threat of required health insurance; it was LACK OF DEMAND: precisely what Obama and the Democrats have been telling you is the problem for the last four years! Get money into the hands of people (NOT millionaires) who will actually spend it: problem solved!

[marychgo]

Federal grants to states and cities to keep their employees on the job worked pretty well. And if the things that worked during the Depression -- like the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration -- are too scary and "socialistic," how about expanding funding for AmeriCorps and VISTA and other forms of national service to get people back to work?

[TimeToEvolve]

by seabass6251 June 14, 2012 12:38 PM EDT
I suppose I'm tired of your caring and nurturing government exploiting me to take care of those that do not wish to take care of themselves to the point that it makes it nearly impossible for me to continue taking care me and my family.

YOUR taxes are already at their lowest point in a long time. Obama has repeatedly cut YOUR taxes. What you really mean is that you think that government is the problem when it was Wall Street that got rid of government regulations that was the problem. Without those regulations, the Banksters went hog wild and crashed the economy and made YOU pay for it.

[margroks]

Most of the law won't even take effect for another year so it's not going to have an effect on the economy 'til then. This is just more GOP bushwa with no fact behind it. Plus, the law addresses numerous problems with out healthcare system whcih people have been complaining about for decades. Finally someone actually does something about those complaints and suddenly people are griping about it. Seriously, start thinking and stop listening to idiots like Limbaugh and demand Romneyites explain why the law is so bad. The answer will be they can't.

[sjc_1]

Rush and others are the trial balloon artists, they rant and see what sticks. Then the GOP candidate picks up on those issues and rants some more.

[hillzhavays]

"Most of the law won't even take effect for another year so it's not going to have an effect on the economy 'til then."

Oh really? So, when businesses say they aren't hiring anyone until they figure out what the effect of the Obamacare Employee Healthcare requirement will be, that isn't affecting us now? Boy, that's great news, because I thought lack of hiring right now was a big problem. Thanks for clearing that up.