Rep. Fred Upton’s appointment to the deficit reduction “super committee” could be a signal that Republicans on the panel plan to push cuts to President Obama’s national health care law.

The deal that Republicans and Democrats struck to raise the debt limit did not include any direct changes to the health care law, but it didn’t rule out the possibility that Obamacare could be on the chopping block within the joint Congressional committee, either. Provisions of the health care law were not granted protected status, as was the case with Social Security and Medicare benefits.