GOP To-Do List: Fix Health Law’s Medical Device Tax, Refine Work Hours Provision
Flush with the power of the majority, congressional Republicans plan to have a vote to repeal Obamacare, although the president has vowed to veto that. The "plan B" strategy will then be to undo some of the overhaul's most unpopular provisions. News outlets also report on how congressional committees may deal with the Affordable Care Act and other health policy.
The Fiscal Times:
GOP: Repeal Obamacare, Then Fix the $28B Medical Device Tax
When Republicans take control of the Senate in January, they will once again vote to repeal Obamacare, which they know will be vetoed by President Obama. The GOP Plan “B” will be to chip away at the health care law, starting with the 2.3 percent tax on medical devices. (Ehley, 11/6)
The Wall Street Journal:
Republican Leaders Aim To Keep Rank-And-File In Line
GOP leaders of both chambers this week outlined an agenda that begins with areas of bipartisan consensus and acknowledges the limits of what they can do with a Democratic president. Their legislative priorities include approving the Keystone XL pipeline and stripping out the least popular pieces of the Affordable Care Act, including the medical-device tax and a requirement that big employers provide insurance to all workers clocking 30 hours a week or more or pay a fee. (Peterson and Crittenden, 11/6)
NPR:
Republicans' First Order Of Business May Be Chipping Away At Obamacare
Now that the Republicans control the House and Senate, they've got their eyes on the Affordable Care Act. Which parts will President Obama veto and which parts will he inevitably have to give up? Melissa Block talks to Mary Agnes Carey, a senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News. (Block/Carey, 11/6)
Bloomberg:
Republicans To Chip At ObamaCare By Refining Work Hours
Newly empowered Republicans say they can’t repeal Obamacare and plan to chip away at the law piece by piece, starting with redefining full-time work in a way that could affect health coverage for 1 million people. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell yesterday said they want to rewrite the Affordable Care Act so employers could avoid providing health coverage to workers who put in less than 40 hours a week -- up from the law’s current 30-hour threshold. (Dorning and Woellert, 11/7)
CQ Healthbeat:
New Direction Seen For Senate HELP Panel In 114th Congress
Republicans’ success at the polls will take the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in a new direction in the 114th Congress, particularly when it comes to the health care law. While retiring Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa was a fierce champion of the overhaul, a Republican-led committee will likely spend more time conducting oversight over the law’s implementation and moving legislation to repeal and change it. (Attias, 11/6)
The New York Times:
Chance For Tax Overhaul Is Seen In Shift Of Power
And two conservatives, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Representative Tom Price of Georgia, are expected to take over their chambers’ budget committees. Both are considering turning to a parliamentary procedure called reconciliation to cut the costs of social programs like Medicare and ease the passage of a simplified tax code. (Weisman, 11/6)
The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire:
Rep. Van Hollen Sees GOP Using The Budget To Target The Health Law
Republican leaders are being careful so far not to reveal how they might craft budget resolutions next year, an important part of their legislative strategy as it allows the Senate to hold filibuster-proof votes on contentious issues like taxes and health-care policy. But Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, predicted Republicans would use the budget “reconciliation” process to try to roll back the Affordable Care Act. (Paletta, 11/6)
