Democrats Fight Back on ObamaCare Repeal, Some Will Support It

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jan 4, 2011   |   11:52AM   |   Washington, DC

Democrats are already fighting back on the expected vote on a measure that would repeal the ObamaCare law that causes abortion and rationing concerns for pro-life groups.

But, some conservative and moderate Democrats who were reluctant to support ObamaCare the first time around appear ready to back the repeal measure the House will consider on January 12.

After announcing their target date for a vote in the full House and posting the text of the two-page repeal bill online, Democrats came back with a letter to pro-life incoming House Speaker John Boehner saying he should consider how parts of the health care takeover law are supposedly popular with Americans, who have consistently opposed the law and favor repeal.

“The incoming House Republican majority that you lead has made the repeal of the federal health care law one of its chief goals,” the letter to Boehner said. “We urge you to consider the unintended consequences that the law’s repeal would have on a number of popular consumer protections that help middle class Americans.”

Sen. Harry Reid, the abortion advocate who is the top Democrat in the Senate, signed the letter along with pro-abortion Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Patty Murray of Washington, and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

“If House Republicans move forward with a repeal of the health care law,” the group promised to block it in the Senate.

The letter is the first sign of tension between the Republican-controlled House and the Democratic-dominated Senate. House Republicans will also pass pro-life measures that would remove the abortion-funding components from the legislation and bills that would end taxpayer funding of abortion and of the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

Whether Democrats will allow votes on the legislation in the Senate is another question as is whether Senate Republicans will press for votes or try to attach the bills or the language in the pro-life bills to other legislation.

Yet, according to Fox News, several Democrats it contacted late Monday said they would either vote for or would consider voting for the repeal measure.

“I have not read the language yet, but I am inclined to support the repeal,” said Rep. Dan Boren, an Oklahoma Democrat. “I have voted against the measure in the last Congress and a full 68 percent of Oklahomans support repeal.”

Rep. Tom Price, a pro-life Georgia Republican, told Fox News that he expects some Democrats to vote against the measure since opposition to it was bipartisan last time and Democrats pushed it through the House with a slim margin despite massive control of the chamber.

“There were Republicans and Democrats who opposed the bill. So I think it will be a bipartisan vote to repeal the bill. It’s interesting that if just one in four Democrats vote to repeal the bill, then that is — would allow us to override any veto that the president might provide,” he said.

Knowing the repeal effort will likely stall in the Senate and certainly be vetoed by pro-abortion President Barack Obama, Republicans are also looking to alternatives such as adding language to every bill to fund the federal government that would de-fund the ObamaCare law.

“Somebody’s going to blink,” pro-life Rep. Steve King of Iowa told CNS News about the idea. “It’ll be President Obama or it’ll be House Republicans.

“If House Republicans refuse to blink, we will succeed,” said King in videotaped interview. “ObamaCare will never become the effective law of the land and we’ll be able to leave a legacy of liberty for the future generations.”

“So, my proposal is this then: Each appropriations bill that comes through, we need to put language in it that prohibits any of the dollars that are appropriated in those funds–and I would add to that any funds heretofore appropriated–from being used to implement or enforce Obamacare,” said King, according to CNS.