How should Republicans in Congress approach the process of repealing Obamacare? Jeffrey Anderson suggests a careful use of Senate reconciliation rules. Here’s Anderson:
Less than three months ago, House and Senate Republicans passed a budget-conference agreement that said, “The conference agreement affirms the use of reconciliation for the sole purpose of repealing the President’s job-killing health care law.” Despite this seemingly clear language, House and Senate leadership have yet to commit to using reconciliation for the purpose of sending to President Obama’s desk a bill that would repeal all or most of Obamacare. But using reconciliation for that purpose would be useful — not because it would actually repeal Obamacare (Obama would simply veto the legislation) but because it would help pave the way to repeal in 2017, by serving as a trial run and helping to confirm Republicans’ resolve.
Another good way for Republicans to use reconciliation to advance the cause of repeal would be to use it to pass a bill that would repeal the most despised part of Obamacare — the individual mandate. Using reconciliation to target the individual mandate (while leaving in place the more popular employer mandate) would help remind Americans that Obamacare ultimately relies on un-American coercion. As the administration has admitted (and Hillary Clinton has insisted), Obamacare cannot work without the individual mandate — which means the 2,400-page overhaul cannot be “fixed” without leaving its most hated part in place. Using reconciliation to go after the individual mandate would give Republicans a chance to highlight anew that, for the first time in United States history, Americans are being required to buy a product or service of the federal government’s choosing, under penalty of law. There is no downside to making Obama veto the individual mandate’s repeal.
Another good way for Republicans to use reconciliation to advance the cause of repeal would be to use it to pass a bill that would repeal the most despised part of Obamacare — the individual mandate. Using reconciliation to target the individual mandate (while leaving in place the more popular employer mandate) would help remind Americans that Obamacare ultimately relies on un-American coercion. As the administration has admitted (and Hillary Clinton has insisted), Obamacare cannot work without the individual mandate — which means the 2,400-page overhaul cannot be “fixed” without leaving its most hated part in place. Using reconciliation to go after the individual mandate would give Republicans a chance to highlight anew that, for the first time in United States history, Americans are being required to buy a product or service of the federal government’s choosing, under penalty of law. There is no downside to making Obama veto the individual mandate’s repeal.
Read the whole thing here.
