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Politico…
Repeal vote is just
Republicans' first step on health care
By Carrie Budoff Brown
The highly anticipated vote Wednesday to repeal the health care reform
bill will make headlines and count as a promise kept by House
Republicans.
But in the end, it’s really just for show.
The real work begins immediately afterward, with Republicans using
every legislative and political tool at their disposal to wage a
two-year campaign against the overhaul. And there won’t be anything
subtle about this slow-drip strategy as Republicans aim to erode public
confidence in the law and, they hope, make it so politically
unpalatable that even some Democrats turn against it.
House committee chairmen will haul administration officials before
their panels, pressing for answers to questions that they feel have
been ignored. GOP leaders will call for votes on bills dismantling
pieces of the law, such as the mandate requiring all Americans to buy
insurance. They will try to choke off funding at every turn, starting
with the stop-gap funding measure that expires in March. (See:
Democrats seek redo of health care pitch)
And, eventually, they will offer an alternative health care reform
plan, one that could be pushed legislatively in 2012 and beyond — if
they win the Senate and the White House, the holy grail of their
long-term strategy. (See: Health care lobby mum on repeal)
For the next two years, at least, the Democratic-controlled Senate will
stymie the House, acting as a backstop for President Barack Obama and
making it impossible for Republicans to fully dismantle the law. But
that doesn’t mean House Republicans intend to pay much heed to the
upper chamber. (See: Health law repeal on Tuesday agenda)
“If we have resolve, it comes down to who blinks,” said Rep. Steve King
(R-Iowa), one of the most ardent opponents of the law. “We won’t blink.”
Here’s a look at the seven key GOP strategies in the unfolding health
care debate:
Senate showdown. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will try to
keep the Senate from becoming the place where the repeal bill goes to
die.
But nobody expects him to succeed.
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