Rep. Dan Boren (D., Okla.), one of only a handful of Blue Dogs to survive the midterms, is likely to join Republicans in voting to repeal Obamacare on Jan. 12.
“I have not read the language yet, but I am inclined to support the repeal,” Boren told National Review Online in a statement. “I have voted against the measure in the last Congress and a full 68 percent of Oklahomans support repeal.”
He did more than just vote against the health-care-reform bill. Boren told Fox News in the run-up to last year’s vote: “They can break arms. They can do whatever they want to. They’ll never get my vote — ever. They’ll have to walk across my dead body if they want my vote on this issue.”
Will anyone join him? Only 12 of the 34 House Democrats who opposed Obamacare were reelected in November, and two — Reps. Collin Peterson (D., Minn.) and Daniel Lipinski (D., Ill.) — have already said they will vote against repeal. That means Democratic Reps. Heath Schuler (N.C.), Larry Kissell (N.C.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Stephen Lynch (Mass.) Jason Altmire (Pa.), Tim Holden (Pa.) John Barrow (Ga.), Ben Chandler (Ky.), Mike Ross (Ark.) and Jim Matheson (Utah) will be on the hot seat these next few days.
Soon-to-be chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Fred Upton (R., Mich.) has predicted that a “significant number of Democrats” will support repeal.