On health care, Congressional Republicans divided over ‘repeal’ versus ‘replace’

Mike Riggs Contributor
Font Size:

Sunday night’s passage of the health-care bill has Congressional Republicans in a tizzy. How else to explain the sudden cracks in the GOP’s once unified front?

Shortly after the House passed the Senate version of the health-care bill, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement slamming Democrats for passing a bill that is “a monstrosity held together by special deals, a rejection of the clear will of the voters, and Presidential appeals to put party first.”

But instead of calling for a repeal of the bill, McConnell pledged that “Senate Republicans will now do everything in our power to replace the massive tax hikes, Medicare cuts and mandates with the reforms our constituents have been calling for throughout this debate.”

If statements released today by Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Steve King are any indicator, however, repeal is still the preferred choice of some party members.

“This bill is unconstitutional and it cannot be fixed. It must be repealed,” reads a statement on DeMint’s website. “The battle for health care freedom is not over and I will introduce legislation this week to repeal this health care takeover.”

A statement from King’s office was equally adamant about repeal: “Today the work begins to repeal Obamacare and restore the principles of liberty that made America a great nation. The American people must take their country back by methodically eliminating every vestige of creeping socialism, including socialized medicine. The Pelosi Democrats will pay a price for their overreach. This fight is far from over.”

It’s possible that McConnell is biding his time until the Senate reconciliation fight is over, or waiting until there’s a signed bill to repeal. In which case, the “replace” argument is simply filler.

Calls to McConnell’s and DeMint’s offices were not immediately returned.