Republicans have fired their first shot against Obamacare in the new session of Congress. They have passed a law that will challenge a key aspect of the Affordable Care Act.
Since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, Republicans have tried to overturn the bill. They voted over 30 times unsuccessfully to repeal the law in the House. With the current Republican majority in Congress, they have vowed to gradually dismantle the law.
The GOP approved the ObamaCare bill that ironically dismantles a key part of the bill. The House voted 252-172 for the bill, which redefines the definition of full-time workers who can receive employer-provided health care. The original act listed workers who work for 30 hours a week. The new bill raises the limit to 40 hours a week.
Republican supporters of the bill cite a study by the conservative Hoover Institution saying that 2.6 million workers will have their hours reduced if they have to meet the 30 hour a week requirement.
“You say you care about low-income workers, about working women and small businesses?” said Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. “Show it and sign this bill.”
President Obama has vowed to veto the ObamaCare bill, saying the bill will “increase the deficit, reduce the number of Americans with employer-based health insurance coverage, and create incentives for employers to shift their employees to part-time work — causing the problem it intends to solve.”
Speaker of the House John Boehner said Obama will not be bipartisan if he vetoes the bill.” Given the chance to start with a burst of bipartisan productivity, the president turned his back on the American people’s priorities,” said Boehner. “We were taking our oath of office when they were issuing veto threats. Come on.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi vowed that Democrats will support Obama’s veto. She also said President Obama has compromised enough with Republicans. “The president has always extended the hand of friendship. Some say too much,”said Pelosi.
