Republicans Vow Vote on Health Care Repeal as Early as Next Week
House Republicans are preparing to introduce a legislative repeal for the health care reform as early as next week.
With a new majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, House Republicans are anxious to get down to the business.
GOP members have already prepared a legislative agenda. Starting this week, Republicans are will introduce procedural rules and congressional budget cuts. Next Monday, they take on the Health Care Reform bill passed in March 2010.
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According to an advanced copy of the repeal legislation, Republicans are calling on the full repeal of the law mandating health care for all and provisions mandating full coverage for preventive measures that may be used to fund birth control, emergency contraceptives and abortion.
Pro-life groups are pleased with the agenda item. "We're happy that Republicans are listening to their constituents," responded Ashley Horne, federal policy analysis for family policy group Citizen Link.
Citizen Link and other groups such as Susan B. Anthony List have been lobbying the House Republicans to put an end to federal funding for abortion.
Pro-life group SBA List has praised the November election of pro-life Republicans to the House. But Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA List, made it clear last month that she and other pro-life advocates have high expectations for this year.
"We made major pro-life gains last month, but they mean absolutely nothing if we do not turn them into serious legislative gains for the unborn," Dannenfelser said in a statement.
Horne, meanwhile, called the bill to repeal health care reform a great first step toward rights for those pro-life legislative gains. However, she conceded, "That's kind of a hard thing [to do] especially with the president. He's probably not going to sign a repeal against his prize legislation."
Republicans have the votes to pass the repeal through the House. But Democrats have already pledged to block the bill.
A letter signed by top Democrats reads, "If House Republicans move forward with a repeal of the health care law that threatens consumer benefits like the 'donut hole' fix, we will block it in the Senate. This proposal deserves a chance to work. It is too important to be treated as collateral damage in a partisan mission to repeal health care."
Republicans have created a companion bill that would mandate that committees put forth proposals that could replace Obama's Health Care Reform. Incoming House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is confident about the bill. Cantor says the bill will be voted on January 12.
