Most Americans Still Want Obamacare Repealed; House Vote Scheduled Tomorrow

The Senate in remains in recess until January 24th because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delayed opening the first legislative day while Democrats attempt to negotiate support among themselves for partisan changes some want to make to the filibuster rules. Democrats claim that rules can be changed with a simple majority vote on the first legislative day, even though Senate rules require a 2/3rds vote to change them.

The House reconvened at 2 PM today to begin debate on H.R. 2, the new Republican majority’s bill to repeal the Democrats’ unpopular health care law. A vote on the bill is scheduled for Wednesday.

Politico reports today, “The highly anticipated vote Wednesday to repeal the health care reform bill will make headlines and count as a promise kept by House Republicans. . . . Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will try to keep the Senate from becoming the place where the repeal bill goes to die. . . . McConnell will push for a vote on the House bill after the body returns next week, even though Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has made clear that he will do everything he can to block the measure.”

While Democrats are telling themselves this is an opportunity to again attempt to sell the public on a bill that raises costs, forces employers to change health plans, cuts Medicare, and raises premiums, the American people still aren’t buying it. In fact, the Democrats’ health care law has only gotten more unpopular since Democrat leaders jammed it through Congress. In December, ABC News reported, “Coinciding with a federal judge’s ruling invalidating a key element of the health care reform law, an ABC News/Washington Post poll finds support for the landmark legislation at a new low . . . .” According to ABC, “Fifty-two percent are opposed, and that 9-point gap in favor of opposition is its largest on record since the latest debate over health care reform began in earnest in summer 2009. More also continue to ‘strongly’ oppose the law than to strongly support it, 37 percent to 22 percent.”

And today, a new Quinnipiac poll finds that a plurality of voters still want to see the health care law repealed. By 48%-43% voters said Congress should try to repeal the law. A majority, 51%, still disapproves of President Obama’s handling of health care.

Majorities of voters in the Quinnipiac poll still disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy (53%-40%) and on creating jobs (51%-41%), but according to The Wall Street Journal today, President Obama says he’s now interested in “a government-wide review of federal regulations, aiming to eliminate rules that stymie economic growth.” Yet The Journal notes, “Business leaders say an explosion in new regulations stemming from the president's health-care and financial regulatory overhauls has, along with the sluggish economy, made them reluctant to spend on expanding and hiring.”

So if Democrats in Congress want to support the president in eliminating rules and regulations that stymie economic growth, one of the best things they could do would be to vote for House Republicans’ bill to repeal the bloated, unpopular health care bill. Democrats’ first opportunity to stand with the American people and do away with their flawed, 2,000 page health care takeover will be on Wednesday.

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