Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are facing a mini-rebellion against their message on healthcare reform.
Every GOP lawmaker rejected the Democrats’ bill last month, but the party is now split on whether to call for a full repeal of the new law.
With Congress back in session next week, King and Rep. Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie BachmannKlobuchar urges CNN town hall audience: 'That's when you guys are supposed to cheer, OK?' Michele Bachmann praises Trump: Americans will 'never see a more godly, biblical president' Will Biden lead a 'return to normalcy' in 2020? MORE (R-Minn.) riled up supporters of an "ObamaCare" repeal at a campaign rally Wednesday afternoon. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), who are considered possible 2012 presidential candidates, both attended the event in Minnesota. King told The Hill on Tuesday that he intends to press his leadership to sign on to a call for a full repeal.
In the days following the enactment of Obama’s sweeping healthcare reform measure, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellThe Hill's Morning Report - Trump says no legislation until Dems end probes Threat of impeachment takes oxygen out of 2019 agenda Chances for disaster aid deal slip amid immigration fight MORE (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner
John Andrew BoehnerK Street giants scoop up coveted ex-lawmakers Trump adviser expected to leave White House, join Juul The Hill's 12:30 Report: McGahn inflames Dem divisions on impeachment MORE (R-Ohio) agreed to pursue a “repeal and replace” strategy as lawmakers headed home for the Easter recess.That has frustrated King and other conservatives.
“Sell the repeal idea. We can debate the replace idea. That’s what I would like to see our leadership do,” King said.
In a recent memo, Boehner
John Andrew BoehnerK Street giants scoop up coveted ex-lawmakers Trump adviser expected to leave White House, join Juul The Hill's 12:30 Report: McGahn inflames Dem divisions on impeachment MORE listed eight items that the GOP conference would fight to repeal, but the Ohio lawmaker stopped short of calling for a full repeal.President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein ObamaBudowsky: 3 big dangers for Democrats HuffPost says president's golfing trips to Trump properties cost taxpayers over 0 million in travel and security expenses Support for same-sex marriage dips 4 points from 2018 high: Gallup MORE last month dared Republicans to campaign on a repeal message, urging them to “go for it.” Democrats, including Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.), have noted that the new law includes politically popular provisions that go into effect this year, including a $250 rebate for some Medicare beneficiaries.
Van Hollen told The Hill in an interview that the DCCC is keeping close track of which Republicans call for a repeal of the new health law.
Of the 15 senators co-sponsoring DeMint’s repeal bill, four are running for reelection this year. They include Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), who is facing a tough primary race, and Sen. David Vitter
David Bruce VitterSenate confirms Trump judge who faced scrutiny over abortion views Collins votes against Trump judicial pick Progressive group targets Susan Collins over Trump judicial pick MORE (R-La.).King asserts that Republican leaders need to be clear on what they would do on Obama’s health law if they took control of Congress.
“I talked to some of the leaders in the Tea Party groups, who ask to make sure that we define this repeal as 100 percent repeal. They are not going to have any patience with equivocation,” the lawmaker said.
But other Republicans do not share all of King’s criticisms on “repeal and replace.”
Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.), who is facing a primary challenge, is open to endorsing "repeal, replace and reform" alternatives.
“I’m willing to run that high-octane level that Steve is running, but I know that people in the [GOP] conference that won’t want to run at that high-octane level. They want to repeal, but they want to make a statement about what they would do," Inglis said.
Three Republican bills to repeal “ObamaCare,” offered by Reps. Dan Burton (Ind.), Joe Wilson
Addison (Joe) Graves WilsonValerie Plame to run for Congress in New Mexico Pollster says younger lawmakers more likely to respond to State of the Union on social media The State of the Union is obsolete MORE (S.C.) and Phil Roe (Tenn.), include language to replace parts of, or the entire, law. King will not sign on to any legislation that would partially repeal the bill, in part because he believes it will divide Republicans.
“I didn’t want to confuse the message on repeal by adding the word ‘replace’ because there’s a question mark that hangs on ‘replace,’ which is, ‘What would you replace it with?’ and then the discussion gets drug down [sic] into something that all Republicans are not going to agree on,” King said.
That message was echoed by an aide to a like-minded GOP senator, who predicted that most Republican members running for reelection in 2010 would return from recess advocating a full repeal strategy after hearing from their constituents.
King and Inglis agreed that their leaders will soon have to address the issue by backing a legislative solution.
Neither Boehner nor his deputy GOP whip, Eric Cantor
Eric Ivan CantorGOP faces tough battle to become 'party of health care' 737 crisis tests Boeing's clout in Washington House Republicans find silver lining in minority MORE (Va.), has co-sponsored a bill that addresses the issue of repeal. But both leaders did sign the conservative Club for Growth’s petition to repeal the healthcare law, as did six GOP senators and 59 House Republicans.
Meanwhile, 67 GOP lawmakers and 283 candidates for office signed the Club’s pledge to “the people of my district/state to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal healthcare takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower healthcare costs without growing government.”
Of the top three House Republicans, only GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) signed both the Club’s “Repeal It” pledge and co-sponsored King’s repeal bill.
A House GOP leadership aide explained that once leaders return from recess, they will discuss how to proceed, but there should be no question that they are committed to repealing the healthcare law.
“The message is simple. Republicans will fight to repeal this government takeover of healthcare and replace it with solutions focused on lower costs. As for next steps on legislation, the leaders will confer with our members and make those decisions,” the aide added.
King holds out hope he can convince Boehner to endorse his approach. He claimed that if Boehner can convince his colleagues to swear off earmarks — as the minority leader did last month — he can unify the GOP conference on repeal legislation.
King said, “It should be absolutely clear that if you can bring the conference to swear off earmarks, we can bring a resolution that every one of us is in favor of 100 percent repeal of ObamaCare and we can put a discharge petition down in a matter of a month.”
