Repeal bends GOP budget rule

Source: Politico

House Republicans plan to use a special exception in their budget rules to repeal the Democrats’ health care overhaul without paying for it – technically, at least.

The Congressional Budget Office said last year that the health care reform law and its accompanying reconciliation law would reduce the deficit by $143 billion through 2019. That figure is widely disputed and Republicans argue the law would actually increase the deficit. Still, since Republicans’ new rules to govern the House require that nearly all proposed legislation is fully paid for, the new House leaders have exempted repeal of the health care overhaul from such requirements.

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Democrats are crying foul, charging Republicans with hypocrisy for proposing legislation that adds to the deficit, at least according to how the CBO is likely to score it.

Vince Morris, a spokesman for outgoing Rules Committee Chairman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), said the provision, “allows Republicans to pretend that their campaign promise to repeal the health care bill will have no cost – their resolution simply instructs the House to ignore the trillion dollar increase in the deficit that will result.”


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47000.html

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House Republicans' pay-go rule does not apply to tax cuts. Now it's apparent it will apply only to spending they don't like. The House repeal vote is scheduled for January 12.

Getting out of there would be a good thing.

....they have no power to pass anything so they will try to screw up everything else. Great leadership, huh?

Really, when you have one side playing by the Marquess of Queensberry rules and the other side approaching it like a street fight, which side usually prevails?

Apparently when Republicans are in control they immediately use whatever means they can to further their agenda and not waste months with bipartisanship. Republicans play to win and they don't care if Democrats don't like it or don't like them because Democrats don't vote for them and help keep them in office.

Every one of them is a Republican.

Oooh, listen: Crickets!

The American people are conditioned to give Republicans a free pass.

I'm having a hard time remembering the last time they were held accountable in a meaningful way for anything.