The House of Representatives voted to repeal Obamacare today by a vote of 245 to 189. That’s a most fitting way for the 112th Congress to begin.
The new Republican majority was propelled into office in large part because of the party’s steadfast opposition to the new health-care law. Republican candidates promised without exception that they would vote to repeal Obamacare if they won office. Voters responded by electing more Republicans to the U.S. House than at any time since 1946. Republicans had to keep faith with their constituents and do as they said they would.
Some may argue the vote was a meaningless exercise, as the Senate is not likely to go along, and the president would veto the bill anyway in the unlikely event it was presented to him. But that kind of thinking is inconsistent with the way our government and politics work. For starters, it’s not inconceivable that a few Democratic senators, particularly those up for reelection in 2012, might welcome the chance to show disapproval of Obamacare, now that they have seen what happened to some of their House and Senate colleagues in the 2010 midterm election. Getting them on the record in that regard would be extremely important as the battle over this legislation unfolds over the coming months and years.
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The argument that the repeal effort is meaningless is offered in bad faith. Everyone knew that Pres. George W. Bush would veto funding for embryonic-stem-cell funding, but no one — not even we — said Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was therefore wasting our time in advocating it. Moreover, in our constitutional system of government, the House and Senate often take positions that are opposed by the other chamber, and presidents quite regularly send proposals to Congress that are thought to be “dead on arrival.” That does not make them unimportant. The president and his allies want to create the perception that Obamacare is now a settled matter, and that Republicans should get over it. Passage by the House of full repeal makes it abundantly clear that Obamacare is far from a settled matter. That’s a crucial message to send to the public, to employers, to the states, and to participants in the health sector, as they make decisions about what is likely to happen with Obamacare in coming years.
The repeal vote is also an important statement for political accountability. The president and his allies jammed Obamacare through Congress with an arrogance not seen in many years. They had large majorities in the 111th Congress, and they were determined to use it to pass a government-run health plan, come what may. At every crucial step, they chose to go it alone with Democrats rather than compromise in any meaningful way. To get the votes for passage, they bullied opponents, bought votes, and made an end run around the Senate after Scott Brown’s victory — all because they wanted to pass their partisan and government-heavy health-care plan without any compromise whatsoever. (Procedurally, the most outrageous Democratic maneuver was to change election law in Massachusetts so that an appointed senator, Paul Kirk, could put the bill over the top.)
The only remedy for such a brazen power play is to oust those who orchestrated it at the next opportunity, which the voters did in November, and to undo the offending legislation. The House vote is just the first step toward remedying this situation and giving the American people a reform plan built on consensus, not division.
But it is just that, a first step. This will be a long struggle. The proponents of government-run health care are dug in, and will do anything to stop repeal. Republicans must bring an equal amount of determination and persistence to the fight — because the stakes could not be higher. In terms of spending, deficits, debt, and size of government, health care is the central battlefield. If Obamacare is allowed to stand, no matter what else happens, the country will move steadily toward ever higher levels of spending and taxation, slower growth and less opportunity, and lower-quality health care. That cannot be allowed to happen. And today’s vote gives us hope that it won’t.
Yes, this will be a long war and the next two years will be crucial for the GOP to frame a new narrative about the size, scope and reach of government. I worry the less focused among the caucus will become distracted and allow petty politics to get them off track.
Sadly, the only way Obamacare gets fully repealed is by winning the Presidency in 2012. That a big hill to climb! Part of the 2012 election narrative will be a referendum on Obamacare and we conservatives MUST win it. Hoping that repeal at the margins of this law or slowing its implementation down or relying on the Supreme Court to rescue this country is a losing strategy.
I hope this is not the end. The comments of some of the go-along, get-along Republicans today seemed to suggest that the vote was just a bit of kabuki theatre meant to indulge the masses. Pence for one seemed to be saying that now that we've had the vote, we can get on to the meaningful business of further compromise.
The media has selective amnesia about the unprecedented tricks the democrats used to pass this piece of garbage. And now they--and the uncivil democrats-- are telling us to get over it and accept it. We need more people in congress to outline these points on the floor daily so they public will remember, since the media won't. This is a fight that must be won...yes, a fight with crosshairs and targets all over it...
Excellent explanation of this situation facing us all. I happened to attend the hearing in Boston when the committee railroaded the constitutional rights of the people by appointing Paul Kirk to replace Ted Kennedy. Taxachusetts is a haven for liberals and socialists. What do China, Iran, Cuba and Massachusetts all have in common?? ONE PARTY RULE.
"Zeus"
As Paul Ryan and others have said, although the healthcare bill does indeed dramatically and negatively effect the economy, that is not necessarily the primary reason to oppose it. The loss of freedom it entails, and the resulting degradation of the American character, is more important. Opponents of government-run "healthcare" must press that point with equal fervor.
Clarie McCaskill is becoming wildly unpopular in Missouri, (Sen.MC C), doubt she'll roll over for repeal tho she actually is beginning to believe that her seat up in '12 will probably go 'pub
The national media has done all it can to ridicule this debate and vote as a meaningless gesture, which is all the more reason to do it. And let's not forget that the Supreme Court may yet strike down all or part of this law as unconstitutional, which it surely is without some tortured interpretation of constitutional law. The justices should welcome the psychological support of the House vote in contrast to the political environment that surrounded the Court's decisions re the New Deal in the 1930's.
Failure to ultimately repeal and replace this nationalization of health care would be a monumental failure for conservatism and a death knell to the continued economic health of the United States. A lot is at stake.
The fact you need to write an article telling people why this vote was not meaningless just screams to me "this vote was a waste of time". Maybe the House can now focus on bills that actually have a chance of becoming law and doing some good.
Why, of course the House Republicans' repeal vote was "symbolic." But don't underestimate the significance of the symbolism. This creates a powerful message: to the voters, to the Democrats, to the president, and to their fellow GOP members. It particularly says to the voters, "You elected us for this purpose and we will be faithful to our covenant with you."
I can't resist the urge to recall Dr. Seuss' famous utterance, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!" Okay, it may sound corny, but it fits.
After the 1994 "Contract with America" the GOP pathetically strayed from their True Course -- and eventually lost both houses and the respect of the electorate. Now it is a chastened and revitalized Republican Party in a strategically perfect place to atone for that lapse and to show the nation that the grownups indeed are now in charge of the House. And that they intend to keep Obamacare repeal a prime focus, including and especially going into 2012. Keeping Democrats backed up against the ropes and forcing them to defend this appalling turkey gives the GOP tremendous leverage for victory in the next election and, ultimately, for cleaning up and disposing of the mess.
Americans respect faithfulness to promises given. And they admire the underdog. The opportunity is golden. Don't let's blow it.
So, now some Senators who risk an apparent battle for reelection can vote against health care after they voted for it. Keep an eye on John Kerry's vote. Only in Washington, symbolism vs. substance.
An interesting situation to explore the ramifications of the 17th Amendment (direct election of Senators). Currently, 26 states are suing in Federal court to stop Obamacare. If Senators were still appointed by their state legislatures, and more directly responsive to the interests of their state governments, would the Senate still be the bottleneck to repeal a law that a majority of states have brought suit to enjoin?
If unemployment's lowered markedly & inflation's still down in 2012, Obama can be re-elected. The word "Obamacare" won't be universally pejorative if the economy grows. So, it's in the interest of those truly determined to oust Obama to raise inflation & hinder economic recovery. This logic is refutable, but sound.
Useless, symbolic voting can help sustain stagnation. It'll dim re-election prospects but for this new class of Congress it's not about getting re-elected, it's about repealing Obamacare. The House should now focus on an anti-flag burning amendment, or perhaps, replacing the word "God" with "Jesus" in the Pledge of Allegiance. (It's what we mean, anyway.) These'll keep the base energized. Substantive, constructive debate across the aisles on collaborative governance, will only distract Congress from the goal of repealing Obamacare. Focus.
So what was does Nancy have to say about this? Astroturf? Knock down a wall or two? Pass it so you can see what's in it? Maybe she is hiding under the podium waiting for the Empire to Strike Back? Nope. It is definately the Return of the Jedi! Great work Republicans!
