House Speaker John Boehner has a challenging session of Congress ahead of him. Here are three useful rules for the road ahead.
1) Use Congressional hearings to expose the flaws in President Obama’s programs — especially the new health-care law. While millions of our tax dollars are being spent to convince senior citizens and others that health reform is good for them, Republicans should take the opportunity to tell the other side. Hold hearings to help explain how Obamacare will reduce access to care for the elderly, the disabled, and low-income people on Medicaid. Also hold hearings on how the new health law is disrupting health insurance for millions of employees.
2) Protect the victims of Obamacare by pushing back the start date of the new health-care law. Outright repeal of Obamacare can be blocked in the Senate, but don’t stop there. Use new bills to push back the spending cuts in Medicare, the individual and employer mandates and other onerous provisions, and pay for these changes by pushing back the start date of the benefits. Make the opposition vote repeatedly to harm the very constituents whose votes they depend on.
3) Don’t try to reform major institutions without cooperation from Democrats. Social Security, Medicare and even health care desperately need reform. But one party reform will mean that Republicans have to take tough votes with no prospects of success. Don’t cast risky votes until the other side is ready to deal.
— John C. Goodman is president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis