Okay, tomorrow is the first big moment we’ve been waiting for since the 2010 elections: the repeal of ObamaCare is scheduled for a vote in the House. Be sure to contact your representatives to remind them you expect them to do everything in their power to undo this legislative debacle.
By the way, in case you think this is a waste of time and that it will be impossible to get through the Senate, read this post by Brian Darling. Then consider that 23 of the 33 seats up for grabs in 2012 are currently held by Democrats or Independents who caucus with the Democrats (one of whom just announced his retirement). They saw what happened in 2010 to the Democrats who supported ObamaCare. With that reality hanging over their heads in 2012, is it not reasonable to think that some of them would fold and actually vote for repeal?
Then, of course, you have the presidential veto to consider. But is that veto really a guarantee? Obama will have the same problem as his Senate Democrats. If he continues to cling to ObamaCare as health care costs continue to skyrocket, employers continue to drop coverage, waivers continue to be granted, etc., his reelection chances will be slim. And he would know that. If he proved anything with his actions on the extension of the Bush tax cuts, it’s that he cares more about his political popularity than his ideology. So again I ask, Is that veto really a guarantee?
The mainstream media wants you to believe that ObamaCare is a done deal and cannot be repealed so you’ll give up fighting against it. Don’t believe them. If we continue to stay engaged, educate the public about the damage this bill will do to America (they already seem to largely understand this), and hound our representatives at every opportunity, showing them we will never go away, ObamaCare can and will be repealed.
Have you seen Project 21 12?
There are 21 Democratic Senators who voted FOR ObamaCare and all of them are up for reelection in 2012, thus Project 21-12. The project is an outreach to these 21 Democrat Senators in an attempt to inform them about the terrible harm this bill does to older Americans and the economic catastrophe that ObamaCare will create. We believe that these Senators, as they have the opportunity to reflect on ObamaCare and the negative effects we are already seeing, will listen to reason and reconsider their original support of ObamaCare.
All of Washington, including these 21 Senators fully understands the historic election this past November. They follow the public opinion polls that reflect resounding dissatisfaction with ObamaCare. Many of these Senators are worried and understand that they will have a very difficult time retaining their seats if they continue to support ObamaCare.
What excites us about this plan is its simplicity. The Republicans will control 47 Senate seats. We only need 4 Democrats to change their vote to repeal ObamaCare. This can be done…
I think this is a little premature Deb. I believe the question is how many Democrats in the Senate would be needed to vote for an override on a Presidentail veto of any repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) should it make it that far. Full repeal of the PPACA will not make it through the Senate, where it would certainly be filibustered by some contingent of the 49 members of the Democratic caucus. As an extra measure of security for those who want the PPACA left intact, the House and Senate Republicans don’t have the two-thirds supermajorities required to override an inevitable presidential veto. Gaining the presidency or a veto proof Senate majority in 2012 will certainly solve the issue but, whatever the case, the electoral strategy for the Republicans in the near term will involve showy legislative maneuvers in the service of “Repeal and Replace,” even though it’s no well kept secret that won’t be happening.
The repeal vote should really an opening move in a legislative battle for “piecemeal” repeal of some individual provisions of the PPACA, reform of others, and probably some efforts to choke off funding for implementation in the 2011 appropriations process. Some small-scale changes to the health care law are likely to win support from Democrats as well as Republicans over the next two years. There in my opinion is where the near term battle lies. For example elimination of the individual mandate, the 1099 tax form reporting requirement, the requirement that insurance companies must spend a certain amount of premiums on “direct medical benefits” all are PPACA provisions that have created nothing but bad press for the Obama administration and are vulnerable to repeal in 2011. Our current efforts might be better spent applying pressure on those recalcitrant House and Senate members both Republican and Democrat to support repeal of specific PPACA provisions immediately and await the total repeal decision for the outcome of the 2012 elections.