House GOP Talking Points on ObamaCare

KEY POINTS: A STRATEGY TO END OBAMACARE

· At this morning’s meeting of the House Republican Conference, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) presented a strategy for building on the successful votes in the House this month to delay the president’s health care law. The strategy: build on this month’s votes with a series of well-placed, targeted strikes that will ultimately dissolve the Obamacare coalition and topple the president’s train wreck of a law.

· The strategy outlined by the Speaker does not rule out or in the tactic of attempting to defund the president’s health care law through bills meant to prevent a government shutdown.

· While the president suggests such health care votes are “meaningless,” Speaker Boehner noted the president has already signed no fewer than seven bills repealing or delaying parts of the law.

· The past month has arguably been the most important moment in the three years since the president’s health care law was signed, the Speaker noted, exposing serious cracks in the legislative coalition the president has relied upon to keep the unworkable health care law in place.

· The U.S. House of Representatives this month passed bills to delay both the law’s employer mandate, and the individual mandate, the core of the law. 35 Democrats defied the president and voted with Republicans on a bill by Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR) to authorize the delay of the employer mandate, while 22 Democrats defied the president and voted with the GOP on a bill by Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) to delay the individual mandate.

· Former Speaker Newt Gingrich called these votes “the beginning of the end” for the president’s health care law. The strategy outlined by Speaker Boehner builds on the Griffin-Young votes to ensure that outcome with further votes that take aim at the soft underbelly of the president’s health care law and maximize pressure on wavering Democrats who are already distancing themselves from it.

· House Republicans will begin to carry out the strategy this week with a vote on a bill by Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) to get the IRS out of the president’s health care law. In the weeks and months ahead, the House will also vote on a bill to protect taxpayers by requiring verification for Obamacare subsidies; the administration wants to use the “honor system,” which invites fraud; legislation to stop IPAB, the Obama administration’s health care rationing board, which even former DNC chairman Howard Dean says is a major problem; legislation to get rid of the slush funds that the president is using to implement the law; and other targeted bills throughout the fall that fracture the president’s coalition of support. Remember: the president has already seven such bills repealing or delaying parts of the law.

· Oversight will also be central to the House Republican strategy. To keep pressure on the administration and build the case for future votes, House Republicans will continue their ongoing oversight activities and take advantage of opportunities associated with the law’s pending implementation. An extensive corresponding, coordinated communications effort will also be developed.

· The president’s health care law is hurting our economy, raising costs, and making it harder for small businesses to hire. Republicans have a duty to the American people to work courageously and wisely until it is completely repealed.