GOP seeks healthcare repeal as Senate kicks off debate

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Hours after the healthcare insurance overhaul was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, Republicans introduced a measure to repeal it as the Senate opened its deliberation on a package of amendments. The repeal move is expected to fail, but is indicative of the debate and tactics that can be expected as the Senate considers the healthcare amendments this week.

No Republican voted for the healthcare bill that passed the Senate in December and none are expected to vote for the amendments. A special election in Massachusetts increased the number of Republicans to 41, enough to prevent the Democratic caucus from having a supermajority, but not enough to block the amendments, which are being considered as a reconciliation so that a simple majority will be enough to pass them.

“The president signed the bill,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said today as he introduced the repeal measure. “Now he is going to travel around the country talking up the bill to a skeptical public.
“The American people aren’t stupid,” McConnell said, adding that “they are dumbfounded that Congress has passed this monstrosity.”

“I agree the American people are not stupid,” Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada retorted. He promised that Democrats would “move forward to make the good law we just passed, and signed by the president today, even better.”

After the opening remarks, the parliamentary maneuvering began.

The Senate took a long roll call and approved an adjournment, 57-39. That allowed a new legislative day and the debate to begin.

The formal vote to begin debate came next and was approved, 56-40.

--Michael Muskal

Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal