One Year Later, Ways and Means Committee Remains Focused on Repealing Democrats' Health Care Law

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Washington, January 19, 2012 | comments
Today marks one year since a bipartisan majority in the House passed H.R. 2, “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act.”  Since then, Ways and Means Republicans have worked to take the law apart branch-by-branch or at the roots.  And, as noted in a recent piece appearing in a Politico publication, all of the repeals enacted into law are a result of efforts at the House Ways and Means Committee. Those repeals include: 
  • Repealing the 1099 IRS reporting provision (PL: 112-9),
  • Reducing wasteful and fraudulent overpayments of taxpayer-funded subsidies (PL: 112-9), and
  • Striking the Democrats' overly-generous eligibility criteria for Medicare and other taxpayer-funded subsidies to align eligibility with other federally-means tested programs (PL: 112-56).
Additionally, this week the Committee voted on H.R. 1173 to repeal the CLASS Program, a $70 billion budget gimmick disguised as a fiscally unsustainable entitlement program used to mask the true cost of the Democrats' health care law.  The legislation was favorably reported out of the Ways and Means Committee with bipartisan support, and it is expected to see action by the full House in February.

Beyond Capitol Hill, continued and sustained action to dismantle the Democrats' failed health care law has gained wide support, with employers, individuals and families, and states filing lawsuits to overturn the law.  In March, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear arguments in a case brought by 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Business who are seeking to overturn the law on the grounds that requiring Americans to purchase health insurance or face penalties – a centerpiece of the Democrats' health care law – is unconstitutional.

Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) once said, “[W]e have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.”  It’s been nearly two years, and now that Americans know what is in it, they are saying “no” to the law and “yes” to repeal.  Whether in the courtroom or in Congress, the fight for full repeal will continue. 

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