US House votes to repeal health care reform law

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives made good on campaign promises Friday when they voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

This was the first exercise of power by the Republican majority since the fall election, according to political analysts, but it won’t be the last.

Representatives voted 245 to 189 to pass the repeal called H.R. 2, Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act.
 
All 242 Republicans and three Democrats voted for the repeal.

“Today, I will vote to repeal the health care law, and I have signed on as a co-sponsor of the repeal bill,” Rep. Todd Young, R-9th, said in a press release Friday. “However I do not believe that a blanket repeal is the only solution.”

Before the vote, Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the law would eliminate jobs, increase the national deficit and raise taxes.

“Repeal means paving the way for better solutions that will lower the costs without destroying jobs or bankrupting our government,” Boehner said on the floor.

So far it appears the health care law is safe.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he is confident the repeal will not pass in the Senate; however, House Minority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., did not share his view.

“If Harry Reid is so confident a repeal will die in the Senate, then he should bring it up for a vote,” Cantor said in a briefing.

President Obama has also promised to veto the repeal should it reach his desk but said he is willing to revisit the law to review changes.

“Americans deserve the freedom and security of knowing that insurance companies can’t deny, cap or drop their coverage when they need it the most, while taking meaningful steps to curb runaway health care costs,” Obama said.

The president will give a speech Tuesday night to comment on the repeal.

Despite promises the repeal will fail, Republicans in both the House and the Senate are still working to revisit provisions of the law they see as unnecessary or damaging.

“The best course of action moving forward is to repeal the current law and begin anew the discussions to implement meaningful reform,” Young said in the release. “The majority of people in Indiana’s 9th District want the same thing, and I’m proud to represent them with my vote today.”