The House’s vote on the Repeal the Job Killing Health Care Law Act has been postponed following the shootings in Arizona that killed six and left Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) hospitalized.
The vote was originally scheduled to take place Jan. 12. It has been rescheduled to for next week.
The bill is expected to make it out of the Republican-controlled House, but no further, as Democrats still control the Senate and the White House.
Even though the bill has little chance of surviving and repealing the reform law, Republicans want to force Democrats to vote to defend the law.
Republicans’ goal: Further distance the law’s Democratic supporters from members of the voting public that oppose the healthcare overhaul — thus setting the GOP up for a 2012 election in which Republicans hope regain control of Congress and snare the ultimate prize … the presidency.
If the GOP succeeds, it’s likely the real fight over healthcare reform would begin after the 2012 elections.
Public support mixed
Support for repeal of the health care law remains mixed, as does the belief that the measure will be repealed, according to a new Rasmussen Report telephone survey of 1,000 likely voters.
The findings:
- 54% at least “somewhat” favor repeal of the law (with 44% “strongly” favoring it)
- 40% are “opposed” to repeal (with 28% being “strongly opposed”), and
- 62% of those who’ve discussed the health care law with a doctor, a nurse or other healthcare professional support repeal.
