Now that Health Care reform has been adopted, Republicans like Michelle Bachman have vowed to repeal it. In fact even before President Obama signs the bill into law, repeal efforts are ramping up. The sad fact for these people is that health care reform is not going to be repealed.
Most obvious is that even if Republicans win both the House and Senate (a remote possibility) and pass a repeal law the first day of the new session, President Obama will veto the measure and it is extremely unlikely that the Republicans will have the votes to override a veto. So a credible repeal effort will have to wait until 2013 at the minimum if a Republican can defeat Obama in 2012.
But even if that happens what provisions would the Republicans actually repeal? The $250 payment to seniors to help pay for prescriptions? The elimination of insurance company-imposed yearly and lifetime benefit caps? The ability of insurance companies to deny you insurance due to a "pre-existing condition" or drop your coverage because you got sick? Maybe they will repeal the provision that allows you to keep your kid on your family's insurance coverage until the age of 26 or maybe they will take away the tax credit to small businesses to help pay for health insurance coverage.
No the bottom line is that many provisions of the health care reform will prove to be quite popular with the American public, just like government-sponsored Medicare is with senior citizens. See that's what the Republican's are afraid of. That America will like health care reform. The problem is that once the American public finds out that grandma isn't going to face a death panel, that 1/6 of the economy hasn't been taken over by the government, that they and their family members can't be denied health care, it's all over for the Republicans and that they will be found out for what they truly are: an idea-berift political party full of grumpy old cranks that don't know anything other than how to oppose progress. And that's why they want to repeal the health care reform.
QUICK ADD:
Today a survey by USA Today shows that support for the health care bill has increased. By 49%-40% those surveyed say it was "a good thing" rather than a bad one that Congress passed the bill. Half describe their reaction in positive terms, as "enthusiastic" or "pleased," while about four in 10 describe it in negative ways, as "disappointed" or "angry."
The largest single group, 48%, calls the bill "a good first step" that should be followed by more action on health care.
Once the general public finds out more about about this bill, support will increase even more. The ones who will be making it an issue in November are the Democrats.
