Boehner Wants Obamacare On The Chopping Block In Debt Negotiations

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and President Barack Obama
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

In a new op-ed for the Cincinnati Enquirer, House Speaker John Boehner argues that the Affordable Care Act should be on the table for cuts in a deficit reduction deal.

He writes:

The president’s health care law adds a massive, expensive, unworkable government program at a time when our national debt already exceeds the size of our country’s entire economy. We can’t afford it, and we can’t afford to leave it intact. 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.

The Ohio Republican also promises to use his House majority to go after Obamacare through the oversight process, mentioning recent efforts by the Ways and Means Committee to probe whether the administration is using taxpayer funds inappropriately when it comes to the health care law.

Over the past couple of years, I have noted there are essentially three major routes to repeal of the president’s law: the courts, the presidential election process and the congressional oversight process. With two of those three routes having come up short, the third and final one becomes more important than ever.

Vigorous oversight of the health care law by the House can be expected and, in fact, is already under way.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: