House Republicans on Wednesday made good on a campaign pledge by passing a bill with a vote of 245-189 to repeal the 2010 health care overhaul. No Republican opposed the measure and only three Democrats supported repeal: Dan Boren (OK), Mike McIntyre (NC), and Mike Ross (AR). Ten other Democrats, who had opposed enacting the health overhaul in the last Congress, voted against repealing it.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will not take up the bill in the Senate and accused House Republicans on Wednesday of "nothing more than partisan grandstanding at a time when we should be working together to create jobs and strengthen the middle class." President Obama also has pledged to veto any repeal bill that reaches his desk.
Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) defended the vote saying, "Some in the cynical, political class are saying this is a gimmick. It??s an empty gesture. We have another term for it on our side of the aisle. It??s a promise kept. House Republicans are here to stand with the American people and say with one voice, we can do better. We can do better than their government takeover of health care. We can pass legislation that will be market-based, patient-centered, but it all begins with today."
Moving forward four House committee chairmen announced plans yesterday to quickly begin work on oversight hearings and drafting bills to replace aspects of the health care law
Chairmen Dave Camp of Ways and Means, Fred Upton of Energy and Commerce, John Kline of Education and Workforce, and Lamar Smith of Judiciary all reiterated that any proposed legislation would go through the full committee processes with both hearings and markups. ,
According to Politico, Kline said the process would start with "aggressive oversight" of the overhaul after which lawmakers would move to crafting smaller pieces of legislation.
The Judiciary Committee kicked things off this week with a hearing on medical malpractice liability. They will also look into the basic constitutionality of law considering at least 26 states are already suing the federal government.
Chairman Upton said that the Energy and Commerce Committee will be looking first at legislation that would allow consumers to purchase insurance across state lines. They will next look at the issue of federal funding for abortions, which will be a hotly contested debate that is not necessarily based on party lines.
The Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing Jan. 26 on the impact of the law on the economy, focusing on its new taxes, the employer mandate to provide health insurance, and the 1099 tax reporting issue.
The Committee on Education and Workforce will begin a series of hearings in February on how the law is affecting job creation. They will look at the employer mandate, whether small businesses should be able to pool together to purchase insurance, and ways to help the 170 million Americans who get health insurance through their employers.
This all means that the health care law will be a predominant issue for Congress and most definitely in the media. Stay tuned for important developments that affect your business but also be wary of the reality of any quick changes.
NACS Staff Contact: Julie Fields, jfields@nacsonline.com
Nothing in politics is more effective than meeting face-to-face with your elected officials. Join your NACS colleagues in Washington, DC, March 9-11 to welcome the new Congress to town and to put your stamp on the new Congressional agenda.
Be among the first from our industry to engage with the new Congress. NACS will provide the training tools necessary for success and schedule your meetings with key legislators.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
- 12:00 - 3:00 pm: Media Training - Space limited and reservation required
- 4:00 - 4:45 pm: NACS Issue Briefing
- 4:45 - 5:30 pm: How to Lobby Congress Briefing - distribution of schedules and coordination of groups
- 6:00 - 6:45 pm: Cocktail Reception
- 6:45 - 8:15 pm: Dinner with Political Speaker
- 8:30 - 10:30 pm: Special Evening Tour of U.S. Capitol Building led by Members of Congress (reservations required)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
- 8:00 - 9:00 am: Breakfast on Capitol Hill
- 9:00 - 5:00 pm: Meetings with Representatives and Senators
- 5:30 - 6:30 pm: NACSPAC Congressional Reception
- 7:00 - 10:00 pm: Dinner/Event to be Determined
Friday, March 11, 2011
- 8:00 - 12:00 pm: Board of Directors' Meeting
For more information and to register go to: nacsonline.com/dayonthehill.
NACS Staff Contact: Kelly Fink, kfink@nacsonline.com