GOP House Leaders Take Positions In Health Overhaul Fight
As Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, their "job 1" strategy regarding the health law repeal effort becomes clear -- as do the partisan lines in the sand. News outlets report on what GOP leaders are saying about the upcoming vote, as well as what the actual legislation does and what is planned as follow-up to the much-anticipated vote.
The Washington Post: In House, New Republican Majority Plans To Act Fast To Undo Obama's Agenda
The first move will come Friday, when the House begins the process of repealing the new health-care law. House leaders will then quickly begin to identify tens of billions of dollars in proposed spending cuts and to ease regulations that businesses find burdensome (Kane, 1/5).
The Wall Street Journal: Health Care Again Tops The Agenda, This Time Of GOP
The new Congress prepared to begin business Wednesday much where lawmakers left off before the November election-battling over the merits of the Democrats' health-care overhaul. The two parties clashed Tuesday over plans by Republicans, who will take control of the House when Congress reconvenes, to hold a vote next week to repeal the health law (Bendavid, Hook and Adamy, 1/5).
The Associated Press: Taking The House, GOP Primes For Fight With Obama
Taking control of the House at last, Republicans are rushing straight into a political fight with President Barack Obama over health care and changes in Washington they say voters demanded in the midterm elections. The oath-taking Wednesday ends two years of Democratic dominance in the capital and ushers in a divided government in the run-up to the 2012 congressional and presidential elections. With campaigns but a short time away, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans are set to square off over the size of government and the taxpayer dollars it spends (Kellman, 12/5).
Reuters: Republicans Seek to Bleed Obama's Health Reform
Republicans armed with new power will pounce on one of their top targets, President Barack Obama's hard-fought healthcare reforms, when the House of Representatives reopens for business on Wednesday. Although Obama's Democrats, who still control the Senate, can probably rebuff any attempt to repeal the overhaul, House Republicans say they will try to choke off its funding and delay its implementation (Smith, 1/4).
The Christian Science Monitor: House GOP Health-Care Repeal: What Will That Bill Do, Exactly?
House Republicans have made public the text of their bill to repeal President Obama's health-care reforms. It doesn't take much time to read it -- it's only two pages long, as opposed to the 2,000-plus page length of the law the GOP lawmakers are trying to reverse. What's in those two pages? Is it just bare-bones legislative language? Not exactly. The first line of the bill, which declares its purpose, reflects many Republicans' long-held opinion about the entire Obama health-care effort (Grier, 1/4).
CQ HealthBeat: House GOP Measure Asks Panels To Look for Health Care Law Replacements
In the first days of the new Congress, Republicans will consider a bill to repeal the health care overhaul, and another directing four committees to craft more-limited measures to replace the law. Although the votes are largely symbolic since the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House are sure to block them, Democrats complain the process violates earlier GOP leadership pledges to allow the minority party more power and to defeat any legislation that would add to the deficit (Ethridge, 1/4).
The Washington Post: Both Sides Prepare To Battle Over Repeal Of Health-Care Law
As Congress members prepare to fight anew over the federal law overhauling the health-care system, activists on both sides of the issue are gearing up for a sequel to last year's raucous debate (Thompson, 1/4).
Politico: Democrats, Republicans Spar Over Health Care Reform
Even before the new Congress opened for business, Democrats and Republicans on Tuesday began refighting the epic battle over health care reform and the House Republican plan to repeal the new law next week. Incoming Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) defended the Jan. 12 vote as the fulfillment of an election mandate, arguing there was no need to hold hearings or allow amendments because "this health care bill has been litigated." The soon-to-be House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), in turn, put up a strong defense, foreshadowing the role she plans to take once the new Congress begins Wednesday (Haberkorn and Budoff Brown, 1/4).
The Hill: Cantor Hits Back Against Dem Criticism Of Repeal Strategy
Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Tuesday defended Republicans' decision to vote on healthcare reform repeal without paying for it or allowing Democratic amendments (Millman and Pecquet, 1/4).
Modern Healthcare: Cantor Stresses Need To Repeal Reform
On the day before he becomes House majority leader, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said it is "imperative" that the House bring a repeal of the healthcare bill to the floor, "reflecting our willingness to listen to the American people" (Zigmond, 1/4).