Posted on 08/19/2010 8:09:40 PM PDT by Mozilla
U.S. Rep. Steve King is moving full speed ahead with his efforts to repeal the federal healthcare reform act.
During a stop in Le Mars Tuesday, King shared his thoughts on healthcare reform with members of the Daily Sentinel editorial team.
King said the day after President Barack Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) which King calls "Obamacare" was approved by Congress, he filed a repeal bill.
Since, King has turned his repeal into a discharge petition which would bring the bill to the floor for consideration without a report from a committee and generally without cooperation of leadership.
Currently the petition has 170 signatures and needs 218. He has had other Republicans promise to sign and is working on Democrats, King said.
"We know if the Senate would pass the repeal and the president would veto it, we wouldn't have the votes to override his veto," King said.
However, he added, there must be a starting point in the argument of healthcare reform.
"You've got to put the markers down," King said. "You've got to make it clear and ask people to line up on one side or the other on the line in the sand."
King said leadership in the Republican party wants to repeal "Obamacare" and replace it with a comprehensive Republican health insurance plan.
"My argument is that anytime you write a bill that has multiple components to it the American public knows that there had to be a backroom discussion and probably a backroom deal made," King said. "I think the tolerance from the American people is way too sensitive to allow that to happen."
He suggests, instead, first repealing "Obamacare" but then taking the eight or nine pieces of reform and looking at them one at a time in national debates.
"We could spend two or three weeks on the more important issues and then bring it out to the floor for a vote," King said. "If it passes, the public will know what the House has passed."
Passing the pieces of healthcare reform in chunks of legislation rather than one package will allow the people a clearer picture, he said.
"I have good traction on that argument, but leadership is pushing for repeal and reform package all in one stroke," King said. "If you put it all in one, the public doesn't have time to analyze it."
King believes he will win the argument in the end.
Damn Republicans. There's always a "catch" to everything.
They had 6 years to reform healthcare; instead we got Medicare Part D. Republicans need to repeal Obamacare - then start working on free market solutions.
Republicans and all of Congress need to yield, step out of the way, keep their mouths shut and their pens capped, just get lost, and let the FREE MARKET itself work on free market solutions.
It looks like King and leadership have a difference of opinion how to go about repealing Obamacare but they all want to do it. Let's give them credit.
However, I have so much confidence in King, that I'd do it his way.
King for president. This guy is a leader.
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