Repeal and Defund ObamaCare
Representative Kelly and House Republicans have tackled ObamaCare on all fronts and share the same end goal: full repeal. Below is a summany of legislation Rep. Kelly voted for in his efforts to fight Obamacare:
On January 19, 2011, the House passed, H.R. 2, the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act: One of the House’s first official actions was to repeal Obamacare in its entirety and instruct the committees of jurisdiction to begin work on finding common sense patient-centered replacement legislation.
On February 19, 2011, the Housed passed H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011: The House passed several substantial bipartisan amendments to H.R. 1 that would severely handicap implementation of Obamacare:
· The Rehberg Amendment #575: Provides that no funds in this Act may be may be used for any employee, officer, contractor or grantee of any department or agency funded in this title (Labor & HHS) to implement the health care provisions of Obamacare. (passed: 239-187)
· The King Amendment #267: Provides that no funds in this Act may be may be used to implement Obamacare. (passed: 241-197)
· The King Amendment #268: Provides that no funds in this Act may be may be used to pay officials who implement Obamacare. (passed: 237-191)
· The Emerson Amendment #83: Provides that no funds in this Act may be may used by the IRS to implement or enforce provisions on Obamacare related to the reporting of health insurance coverage. (passed: 246-182)
· The Price Amendment #409: Provides that no funds in this Act may be used by HHS to implement or enforce the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) provision. (passed: 241-185)
· The Burgess Amendment #200 would prohibit any funds in this Act to be used to pay the salary of any officer or employee of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO). (passed: 239-182)
· The Pitts Amendment #430: Provides that no funds in this Act may be used for an officer or employee at HHS, IRS, and Labor to do any action to specify or define, through regulations, guidelines, or otherwise, essential benefits as required in Obamacare. (passed: 239-183)
· The Gardner Amendment #79: Provides that no funds in the Act may be used to pay the salary of any employee or officer of the HHS who develops or promulgates regulations or guidance regarding Exchanges under Obamacare. (passed: 241-184)
· The Hayworth Amendment #567: Provides that no funds in this Act may be used to implement the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) created under Obamacare. (Accepted by voice vote)
On March 3, 2011, the House passed H.R. 4, the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011: H.R. 4 repealed the job-killing Form 1099 reporting requirements that were added in Obamacare strictly as a way to help finance Obamacare. This provision has a real detrimental impact on small businesses and Americans believe it needs to be repealed.
In March, the House approved H.R. 5, the Protecting Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act, by a vote of 223-181. The bill would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), created by the Democrats’ federal takeover of healthcare, and would enact medical liability reform, as outlined in the Pledge to America. The IPAB is a panel of 15 unelected and unaccountable government bureaucrats tasked with reducing Medicare costs through arbitrary cuts to providers resulting in de facto rationing of care for seniors. The board’s decisions cannot be challenged in the courts, unlike other agency rules, and carry the full force of the law. Medical liability reform would reduce Medicare spending in a way that does not ration care; rather, it would ensure access to care while reducing liability insurance and the practice of defensive medicine. The bill would place a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages; limit contingency fees lawyers can charge; place guidelines on punitive damages; provide a safe harbor from punitive damages for products that meet FDA safety requirements; and preserve all state laws that place higher or lower limits on any form of damages. According to CBO estimates , H.R. 5 would reduce the deficit by $45.5 billion over the FY2013-2022 period—repealing IPAB would cost $3.1 billion, while the medical liability reform would save $48.6 billion (thus the additional savings from medical liability reform will go to deficit reduction).
In addition to his floor votes, Representative Kelly's work on the Education and the Workforce Committee has led to greater understanding of the Obamacare's impact on the workforce. Committee Hearings include:
· On February 9, 2011, the full Committee held a hearing on the "Impact of the Health Care Law on the Economy, Employers, and the Workforce."
· On March 10, 2011, the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee held a hearing on the "Pressures of Rising Cost on Employer Provided Health Care" where they examined how Obamacare contributes to increased costs and places additional burdens on employer-provided health care.