Health spending bill clears Senate panel over GOP's opposition to health law

Senate GOP appropriators on Tuesday voted en bloc against next fiscal year's spending bill for health programs, dispelling any doubts that the partisan rancor over Democrats' healthcare law remains as strong as ever a year and a half after its passage.

The $158 billion spending bill cleared the Senate Health appropriations panel along party lines. The full committee takes up the bill on Wednesday.

Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said the bill cuts spending by $308 million over FY 2011 levels and eliminates 15 programs. Republicans said it's not enough, and assailed its $4.5 billion for provisions of the healthcare reform law.

"Even if we could afford ObamaCare," Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said in prepared remarks, "we should not fund the program because it expands government intrusion into our lives that will stifle life-saving innovation and destroy the best medical care in the world."

Republicans in particular took aim at the $1 billion for the health's prevention fund, which the GOP calls a "slush fund."

Shelby said Democrats don't have the votes to pass the bill on the Senate floor without bipartisan support. He said he'd have an amendment to repeal funding for provisions of the healthcare law.

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