Senate to vote on Obamacare repeal plus “Opt Out” bill – Video – UPDATE: Repeal fails UPDATE 2: 1099 provision repealed

The Senate will finally take up Obamacare repeal legislation today … but on the table is so much more than repeal. It is a “Three pronged attack”, says Lindsey Graham, to finally drive a stake through a very bad bill.

The first step takes place this morning, as USA Today reports:

A day after a federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the House-passed bill on repeal as an amendment to a pending measure on aviation issues.

“If everyone in this chamber evaluated this bill for what it is, we’d repeal it right now,” McConnell said. “And then we’d begin the work of achieving our mutual goal of delivering health care at a higher quality for lower costs.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., armed with a 53-47 voting advantage, agreed to the vote on the repeal bill. He said he wanted Republicans “to get this out of their system quickly.”

McConnell has the support of all 47 GOP senators, but it is unclear if any Democrats will join them.

But  Lindsey Graham said it won’t be the only effort to stop Obamacare.

Republican Senators Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and John Barrasso (Wyo.) introduced a bill on Tuesday that would allow states to opt out of any part of the controversial new health care law, known as Obamacare, including the individual and employer insurance mandates.

Those mandates require individuals to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty, or an employer to provide insurance or pay a penalty.

Senator Graham was unequivocal in describing the new bill as a “third front” against the unpopular reform, saying he hoped enough states would opt out to effectively kill the law.

How would this end Obamacare, you ask? As Graham told Gretta last night, his bill would starve Obamacare and force Congress to start over.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzF_7V1uwWo

I admire his tenacity … but will this pass either?

UPDATE: The attempt to repeal Obamacare failed in the Senate just about 20 minutes ago. I am not surprised that it failed. I am surprised that the Democrats held together. Final vote 51-47, with all current Senate Democrats on the record as being for Obamacare.

From Slate:

Democrats had new ammo. They accused the GOP of, in the words of Sen. Barbara Milkulski, D-Md., “playing to the Tea Party.” They waved around a January CBO estimate of health care repeal like a bloody flag.

“$1.4 trillion!” said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-ND, closing the debate for the Democrats. “Now, we’ve heard colleagues of all sides say we’ve got to get our debt and deficits are out of control, and one of our first acts here is to explode the debt!”

Republicans had new ammo. They pointed to polling that proved health care was unpopular, and citizens’ complaints about what would happen to their care. They laughed off the CBO score.

“Only in Washington,” said McConnell, “could you argue with a straight face that starting a new entitlement program will save money.”

But the kabuki ended with a party-line vote.

It’s a pretty nice post and yes I am disappointed. I was expecting at least one or two Democrats to join the Republicans. Instead the battle lines are drawn and, with so many Democrats up for re-election in 2012, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

So Senate Democrats will have the numbers against them in 2012 and 2014. In 2012, they will have 23 seats in play, compared with only 10 Republican seats. Four years from now, Democrats will have 20 seats up, compared with 13 for the GOP.

In the first round of The Cook Political Report’s 2012 Senate ratings, Democrats start with three incumbents whose races are classified as toss-ups: Ben Nelson in Nebraska, Jim Webb in Virginia, and newly elected Joe Manchin in West Virginia. Three Democrats are in the “Lean Democratic” column: Bill Nelson in Florida, Claire McCaskill in Missouri, and Sherrod Brown in Ohio. To that list you can add independent Joe Lieberman in Connecticut, who sits and caucuses with the Democrats. So, that’s seven incumbents in races expected to be competitive.

We’ll see.

UPDATE 2: I forgot to point out that the Senate did vote to repeal the 1099 requirement in Obamacare, which was nothing more than searching through the seat cushions, so to speak, to find additional cash to fund Obamacare. That vote was 81-17 and not surprising. Businesses were not happy with this provision that required accounting to file a 1099 anytime they did more than they did more than $600 dollars.

Large companies hated the additional paperwork. Small businesses recognized it for what it was. Nickel and diming the small business sector.

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Jim Vicevich

Jim is a veteran broadcaster and conservative/libertarian blogger with more than 25 years experience in TV and radio. Jim's was the long-term host of The Jim Vicevich Show on WTIC 1080 in Hartford from 2004 through 2019. Prior to radio, Jim worked as a business and financial reporter for NBC30 - the NBC owned TV station in Hartford - and as business editor at WFSB-TV in Hartford for 14 years while earning six Emmy nominations and three Telly Awards.

6 Comments

  1. winnie888 on February 2, 2011 at 3:39 am

    Brilliant in its simplicity, but will states opt out if they're allowed to?  More to the point, would CT opt out?  I would say, 'I "hope" so', but I know, know, know that the democrats will come up with some sleazy tactic to prevent this from happening.  So, essentially, I have no "hope" left.  But it sure would be nice to be surprised.



  2. Lynn on February 2, 2011 at 4:49 am

    People in Connecticut have proven they either don't care or don't understand the faults in the "Healthcare Reform". The election showed that. There will be no opting out. We did not elect Martha Dean.



  3. NH-Jim on February 2, 2011 at 5:13 am

    Well, if the fact that the people know that their taxes will increase matters, a bigger push will result.

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    Did you know that if you sell your house after 2012 you will pay a 3.8% sales tax on its capital gains (excess over $500k for couples)?  How about all those folks in Southern CT, Southern CA, Boston, NY, etc.  Their home prices are reflective of local markets.  Many of these people are not wealthy though.  This tax is not fairly applied to the general populace, therefore, is it not unconstitutional

    When did this happen? It's in the health care bill.  It also applies to all dividends, interest, annuities, etc. in excess of $250k adjusted gross income for married couples ($200k for individuals).

    We are taxed enough! It's the spending that is the problem.



  4. GdavidH on February 2, 2011 at 6:06 am

    Ct. in all its' wisdom will not "opt out" if given the opportunity. I believe Sen. Graham is aware that the only way this legislation survives is if NO states opt out. It's sad that folks like us are dependant on the wisdom of the citizens and governments of other states.

     This would also redefine the phrase "vote with your feet". Imagine the incentives created by states that opt out as opposed to those that don't.



  5. brianh on February 2, 2011 at 6:41 am

    Exactly, GdavidH…We in MA are dependent on there being majority wisdom in other states, too.



  6. winnie888 on February 3, 2011 at 2:13 am

    Can't wait to see what happens with those 23 seats that are in play for democrats in 2012.  Praying that they just shot themselves in the feet with this vote…figuratively speaking, of course.  And these democrats better remember that Tea Party folks vote, too.  In fact, we're probably more likely to vote than their base.  Just sayin's all.



Lindsey Graham new

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