GOPers Sign Club For Growth’s Pledge To Repeal Health Care

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), Sen. Jim Demint (R-SC), Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R-FL)
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If, as some Democrats hope, there is a health care ‘repeal trap,’ a number of Republicans are diving right into it. So far, 19 GOP lawmakers — three senators and 16 members of Congress — plus 44 other Republican office seekers (and counting), have signed ‘Repeal It!‘ pledges written by The Club for Growth, promising to repeal any health reform legislation passed by Congress.

The pledge reads:

“I hereby pledge to the people of my district/state to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government.”

Who’s signed so far? Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), and Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), among others.

In addition to current officeholders, a number of Republican hopefuls have also signed the pledge, including Tea Party Florida favorite Marco Rubio. In a statement, Rubio said he was signing the pledge because “the proposed government takeover of health care being rammed through Congress runs contrary to the principles of limited government that have made Americans the freest and most prosperous people ever.”

In October, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that “if they pass a bill which is a disaster, the number one campaign issue in 2010 and 2012 is going to be repeal the bill.”

Democrats have been as eager as Republicans to make ‘repealism’ a GOP platform, hoping to accuse their rivals of working to rollback popular parts of reform.

The Club For Growth also has a pledge for citizens who promise to work and vote for pledging politicians. More than 3,400 people have signed so far.

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