Boehner: Obamacare on table for 'fiscal cliff' talks
(CNN) – As congressional leaders and President Barack Obama search for common ground to tame the national debt as the weeks dwindle down to end of the year, House Speaker John Boehner said the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, must be included in deficit negotiations.
"We can't afford it, and we can't afford to leave it intact," Boehner wrote of Obama's signature healthcare initiative in the Cincinnati Enquirer. "That's why I've been clear that the law has to stay on the table as both parties discuss ways to solve our nation's massive debt challenge."
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Though Republicans have continually pushed for a full repeal of the law, Obama's re-election marked the next step in its implementation. Each state is required to decide whether to set up its own health care exchange - where individuals and small businesses can purchase affordable health care, subsidizing insurance for low-income consumers - or choose to have the federal government manage the state's exchange.
In the editorial Boehner lauded Ohio Governor John Kasich's decision Friday refusing to set up a state-run exchange, the result being the federal government management of the state's health care exchange.
As states decide how to comply with the law, leaders from both parties are in the midst of contentious dealings on how to reduce the nation's debt and avoid the so-called fiscal cliff – a series of federal spending cuts and tax rates increases set to go into place at the beginning of next year if Washington lawmakers fail to reach a compromise. At the crux of deficit negotiations is revenue. Republicans want to generate revenue by closing loopholes and tax deductions while Democrats have favored raising tax rates on wealthier Americans.
Since former Republican nominee Mitt Romney's defeat and the Supreme Court upheld most of the health care initiative, Boehner said the GOP's "tactics" must change in their effort to repeal Obamacare. Boehner underscored the law's expense and pushed a dismantling of the law through congressional oversight.
"With President Obama and his party still in control of most of Washington, stopping Obamacare will require both bold state leadership and vigorous oversight by members of the House of Representatives," he wrote.
Shortly after the election, Boehner told ABC he would not make repealing the law his mission saying Obamacare was the "law of the land." Boehner later walked back the comment tweeting the GOP's goal remains a full repeal of the law.
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Nanny state Ray – Yes life without ACA was so good under Bush, we only lost 8 million jobs in his last three years. Please find another faux talking point because this one sure is wrong.
"Has Boehner lost his damn mind?!?
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Assuming he had one to begin with is that a rhetorical question?
Heres the solution. Single payer. I hv twin daughters that hv work at local movie theater for 2 yrs. My grls r fresh at college. They just got their hrs cut 2 no more than 28hrs. The fools hv hired 4 more pt workers. The comp will spend more $ on training new pt workers and workmans comp than it would hv 2 provide ins. 90% of workers r students and r on parents ins anyway. Greedy fools. Cut off nose to spit face. Lol
Your lucky no one ran against you in your district BoenHead. My friend was actually quite upset that she was REQUIRED to vote for you because the voting machines in your district did not allow people to refrain from casting a vote for house representative. You should be ashamed of yourself, living it up on the taxpayers dime. You are the true welfare queen, you get paid way too much to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, must be included in deficit negotiations
Boehner that's not going to happen. Get over it.
Tan man has spent way too much time hanging around teatards. Obamacare is not on the table and because the most scared, imcompetent Speaker of the House in history says otherwise means less than nothing. Obama should tell tan man and his entourage that he'll just see them Jan. 1, 2013 and until then that they should just p*ss off.
There Is no way you can tell me that these Republican are Serious about wanting to Compromise on anything, It till there way or the Highway. If I was President Obama i would just let the thing kick In at the first of 2013. Than taxes will go up on the rich any way and at a higher rate. It time the American people get the Republican out of Control of Congress In 2014,It the only way anything Is going to get done.
@ Dominican mama 4 Obama
For someone who claims to be a Christian, you sure have a funny way of expressing it.
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But nowhere near as funny as the Republicans who have NO concept of what it means to care for the least amongst us, and who claim to be pro-life but have no problem starting unnecessary wars and sending our children off to die in them while theirs chicken swerve at home.
I'm a Christian too but when people need to go to hell that's exactly where I send them.
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Well said.
@ Wire Palladin, S. F
Travis – For someone who subscribes to teavangelical beliefs, I find right wingnut attacks on the majority of Americans who support ACA anything but Christian.
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AIN'T that the truth?
Thank you.
What Boehner and the GOP don't get is that one of the reasons I voted FOR Mr. Obama was the ACA. One of the reasons I voted AGAINST Mr. Romney was his nonsensical denaial of the ACA. Putting the ACA "on the table" at all much less before the real waste like the tax cuts for the rich and the DoD budget are cut is an insult to all working class Americans who need access to affordable health care.
Do it Boehner- your party dies just that much faster!
Are you kidding me? Can't people in his district vote him out of office please. I'm so tired of this idiot. States and insurance companies ran health insurance into the ground and raised rates for over twenty years, it's time to go a different direction. If it doesn't work, it can't be any worse than what it was.
Ray E. (Georgia)
Humm,
You people funny. You want jobs, the economy to improve, the national debt to come down, able to pay for that house, less people in poverty, or do you want Obama Care. You can't have both
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ahem...YES WE CAN!!!
"The United States does not need its hugely bloated military any longer. "
The country doesn't need it, but the corporate imperialists backing the GOP/Teatrolls certainly want that military to remain huge and even to grow.
The GOP is not serious about compromise. We voted FOR Obamacare when we voted for Obama. Get that through your thick skulls or get voted out.