GOP seeks changes to new healthcare law through Obama's debt commission

President Barack Obama's newly-formed debt commission may consider changes to the new healthcare reform law, a top Republican member said Wednesday.

Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the ranking member of the House Ways & Means Committee and a member of the bipartisan panel formed by the president, said that changes to the healthcare law must be "on the table" as part of the commission's efforts to reduce the deficit and debt.

"I think this healthcare bill has to be on the table," Camp said during an appearance on Fox News. "If there are those who want to see taxes on the table, then certainly this healthcare bill's going to be on the table."

Obama and Democrats had touted official predictions by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that said the healthcare bill passed in late March would bring down the deficit in the long-run. But Republicans have said that reports since then, particularly one from actuaries at the Department of Health and Human Services, show that costs would actually go up over time. 

"The bill was sold as bringing down costs," Camp said. "We now have from the president's own actuaries -- the administration -- that this bill actually increases costs significantly over time."

The debt commission, which Obama established by executive order, met for the first time on Tuesday. They're expected to examine options to bring down the debt and deficits, and the commission will generate recommendations by late this year. Congressional leaders have promised an up-or-down vote on the recommendations.

"There was a lot of agreement that if we don't get healthcare costs under control, we're not going to make much progress on the deficit," Camp said.

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