Posted on 11/10/2012 6:19:16 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
(CNSNews.com) -- Although the Republican-dominant House of Representatives controls the federal purse strings, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said that Tuesday’s election victory by President Barack Obama changed how he will approach the GOP goal of repealing the health reform law, saying that the president’s reelection made it “the law of the land.”
“Well, I think the election changes that. It’s pretty clear that the president was re-elected. Obamacare is the law of the land,” Boehner told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer in an interview Thursday when asked if the House GOP would still make repeal its mission.
However, Boehner also said that the law was still “on the table,” noting that he still considered it bad policy and that it was not off limits as he begins negotiations with Obama over key budgetary issues.
As House Speaker, Boehner can prevent any funding for Obamacare or any aspect of it through amendments to funding legislation, to a continuing resolution, or by simply not allowing a floor vote on the funding.
“I think there are parts of the health care law that are going to be very difficult to implement and very expensive and, at a time when we’re trying to find a way to create a path toward a balanced budget, everything has to be on the table,” he said in the ABC interview.
When pressed, Boehner clarified that no decision had been made yet over which parts of the law would be included in negotiations, saying that parts of the law could be on the table.
“There are certainly maybe parts of it that we believe need to be changed – we may do that, no decisions at this point,” he said.
Boehner repeated during the interview that he viewed Obama’s reelection and Republicans’ failure to achieve a Senate majority as a mandate from the American public for the two parties to work together, saying that it was simply the hand he was dealt.
“I may not like the five cards that were dealt to me but those are the cards I’ve got in my hand,” he said. “Now my job on behalf of the American people is to find a way to work with my Democrat colleagues and our Democrat President to solve America’s problems. If there was one mandate that came out of the election, it was [to] find a way to work together to address our problems.”
Boehner’s office clarified his remarks about repeal of Obamacare on Thursday, after excerpts of the interview were released to the public. His official Twitter account posted a message saying that he remained committed to “full repeal” of the law.
“ObamaCare is the law of the land, but it is raising costs and hurting #smallbiz. Our goal remains #fullrepeal,” Boehner tweeted.
Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith also clarified the Speaker’s intentions on Obamacare, saying that House Republicans were committed to repealing the law despite the reelection of its namesake president.
“While Obamacare is the law of the land, it is costing us jobs and threatening our health care,” Smith told the liberal website Talking Points Memo. “Speaker Boehner and House Republicans remain committed to repealing the law, and he said in the interview it would be on the table.”
Obama’s reelection has made repeal of the law extremely difficult for Republicans after they failed to secure a Senate majority and a President who would sign repeal legislation. Obama has repeatedly stated that he has no intention of negotiating over the law and Senate Democrats have refused to vote on multiple repeal bills sent to them by the House.
Anyone consider how frustrated Boehner might be? He and the GOP house held the line against Obama following the 2010 elections expecting help in the form of a president and Senate in this election. That didn’t happen. The House has been left out to hang. Instead of blaming Boehner and Co., put the blame where it belongs, on the electorate that let them down.
Romney: Roe v Wade is the law of the land and should be defended as such.
Boehner: Obamacare is the law of the land and should be defended as such.
No fight at all in either of these wimps. We need to purge the GOP of wimps and backstabbing RINOS.
If you are 60 and the government run healthcare, which you were forced into in the first place, refuses to give you life saving surgery then what have you got to lose..? I mean, you are a goner anyhow,right?
Count me in.....
We’re back to square 1. How does a conservative get his message out over a media that has a stranglehold on quick, mass dissemination of information and a media that refuses to carry any message that disagrees with their own message.
No matter what any other demographer, pollster, pundit says that is the heart of the problem for conservatives. It was true when Romney was running for the nomination and it was true when Obama was running for the presidency.
If Benghazi isn’t on the radar screen, then it is a non-issue. That’s the same with just about every other issue dear to the hearts of conservatives.
I have already sent a plea to my congressman to make sure Weepy Willow is not speaker again. Every Freeper who lives in a GOP district needs to do the same.
I agree except for obama and the Rats being blamed. The media will protect them. It will be the evil businesspeople, the doctors, or that the govt is not in absolute control that will be the fault.
Keep bumping it up to the top. The new conservative media (especially online) is growing fast as the old pravda style government propaganda media dies off.
The stark truth about the failures of socialism is going to make itself known to all of our citizens in the next couple of years—up close and personal. And it’s going to be ugly, but eyes will open. There is a lot of brainwashing that will have to be rinsed out before freedom shines through.
You're right. The problem is when enough people finally get fed up what will the country look like.
One thing I was surprised to learn after the election is there is a much higher % of women that vote than men. If we are going to have any chance at saving something of this country we have to get men to start standing up and doing their duty. There's no way around it though this election knocked us down.
A majority of this country has embraced socialism. IOW, people have traded individual freedom and rights for short term security. They seem to think that they can have whatever they want and their neighbor will pay for it. Right now all we can do is fight a holding action, stopping everything possible, but it won't be worth it if men don't vote.
I’m afraid our little Republican Party is so full of pansies that no one can see any of the other flowers. We are truly underserved by our “leaders.” I don’t see any way to change things.
If most people in this country have embraced socialism, then we wouldn’t have a Republican congress. The House most accurately reflects the will of the people. The majority of the people reject the socialist democrats! Lean on your reps to act accordingly! Boehner should quit crying like a wimp and grow a set or resign and let someone with balls step up to defend our constitution and our liberty!!
I’ll be 64 this month. Haven’t counted on the government for anything so far and don’t quess I should start now.
the constitution is the law of the land
The Constitution stopped being the law of the land back in the early 1900’s. Thank Wilson and the progressives that voted for him.
There was a time and place when putting Jews in concentration camps was the law of the land.
Exactly. If we want to look at a country that is reclaiming its roots from socialist totalitarianism and starting to boom economically, look north of the border. For many decades, Canada was a joke. Now, look at its unemployment rate and the rate of change since the Conservative Party took charge. There are many things about Canada that we cannot and will not copy, but there is a political and economic philosophy that we would do well to consider.
Boehner would do well to reach out to Stephen Harper. I doubt that Harper would deal much with Obama except formally on matters of state. Boehner might come out of this with an ally - or Boehner's successor, at any rate.
Wise up and realize its all about gubmint control.It doesnt matter which faction is in charge.If you think the voting was fair you’re out of your mind.
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