Democrat Joins Health Care Repeal Effort
Rep. Steve King (R-Ohio), who is pushing for a full repeal of President Obama's health care overhaul legislation, announced yesterday that at least one Democrat in the House is supporting his efforts.
Democratic Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi is one of 172 congressmen who have signed King's petition for an up-or-down vote on King's bill to repeal the reforms.
"Adding Rep. Taylor to the discharge petition is a significant step towards repealing Obamacare," said King said in a statement. "Rep. Taylor is the first Democrat to sign the discharge petition, and it is my hope that his decision will pave the way for other Democrats who support repeal to break ranks with Speaker Pelosi and President Obama."
Taylor, a Blue Dog Democrat, was one of the 34 Democrats in the House to vote against the health care overhaul.
While King wants to repeal the full bill, other Republicans have advocated a "repeal and replace" strategy. Given that Republicans could never get the votes to overcome a veto from President Obama, some in the GOP say they could most effectively roll back by the reforms by denying funding for the new programs.
A new CBS News/ New York Times poll shows that nearly half of Americans say they disapprove of the health care reforms. Of those who disapprove, 82 percent say they want the current health care law repealed, though this number drops to just 48 percent if it means that insurance companies are no longer required to cover people with existing medical conditions or prior illnesses.
