Thursday, July 12, 2012

So, Boehner, what is that plan for replacing Obamacare?

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) pauses during remarks to the American Conservative Union's annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, February 9, 2012.  REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) Why so cocky, Boehner? (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Um, Speaker Boehner? You've got a bit of a problem here. Your reliable megaphone, POLITICO, seems to be losing its affection for your antics.
Even as they cheer their 'Obamacare' repeal vote, here's a reality check: House Republicans have done next to nothing they promised they would when it comes to health care. [...]

Flash back to the campaign promises of 2010: GOP leadership told voters they would 'enact medical liability reform,' allow Americans to buy health insurance across state lines, expand health savings accounts, 'ensure access for patients with pre-existing conditions' and 'permanently prohibit taxpayer funding of abortion.' [...]

Eighteen months after taking the majority, they've passed only two of those: an abortion bill and liability legislation. [...]

Also, when Republicans passed their repeal of the health care law Wednesday, they did it using a restrictive floor process that limits debate and minority party amendments, which they had said they would avoid.

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.), who snatched his seat from a Democrat in 2010 who voted for the law, says he's ready to pass health care bills. There's only one thing stopping him.

'I'd love to do them,' he said. 'I'm not in leadership. I'd love to dig into this stuff.'

It's hard to believe that the folks at POLITICO were really naive enough to believe that Republicans were going to come up with some kind of plan that extended beyond tort reform and ending Medicare, and that they'd live up to their promises of working with the minority. But the bloom is definitely off the rose for Boehner.

The wheel spinning of this do-nothing and dysfunctional House'capped by yesterday's futile attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act'might finally be getting noticed by the inside-the-beltway press.  


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