Chamber President Backs Health Care Repeal Vote

WASHINGTON -- Nearly 10 months after the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's preeminent business lobby, said it would not spend money to push for repeal of last year's sweeping health care law, Chamber President Tom Donohue said Tuesday that President Barack Obama's signature legislation should be overturned.

Delivering the annual State of American Business address less than a month before Obama himself is slated to speak at the Chamber's D.C. headquarters, Donohue gave little indication that his lobby would be content to see the health care legislation stand.

"The new health care law, think about this for a minute, creates, creates 159 new agencies, commissions, panels, and other bodies. It grants extraordinary powers to the Department of Health and Human Services to redefine health care as we know it," the Chamber president said.

Donohue cited the hundreds of HHS waivers granted to U.S. businesses, which allow them to defer adhering to the law's stricter coverage requirements, as an admission that "the law is not totally workable."

"And with key provisions under challenge in the courts by states and others, it's time to go back to the drawing board," he added. "Last year, while strongly advocating health care reform, the Chamber was a leader in the fight against this particular bill -- and thus we support legislation in the House to repeal it. We see the upcoming House vote as an opportunity for everyone to take a fresh look at health care reform, and to replace unworkable approaches with more effective measures that will lower costs, expand access, and improve quality."

The comments echo earlier philosophical and political complains that the Chamber has had with the health care reform law. The business lobby spent $86 million in total trying to defeat the legislation. But when it passed back in March, Donohue had hinted that he wouldn't continue spending to oppose it, telling the Wall Street Journal: "If people want to try and repeal, let them. We're not going to spend any capital on that."

At the time, the Chamber's focus was on the regulatory agencies to whom the bill defers many key final decisions. But it seemed likely at that point that health care reform's popularity would rise over time, and that hasn't happened. And as House Republicans who were initially hesitant to push for full repeal now rally around just such a provision, it's hardly surprising that the Chamber is close behind.

Comments

[Walter Vanburen]

08:59 AM on 01/13/2011

In the end, success or failure of repeal will come down to the fence-sitters.Get your Congress person to commit one way or another NOW. Ask him/her to sign the repeal pledge. http://bit.ly/therepealpledge

[1differentdrummer]

06:18 AM on 01/12/2011

I would suggest it isn't actually the US Chamber of Commerce but actually the Un-American Chamber of Commerce. They could solve US unemployment in perhaps as little as ninety days by hiring people they need, and benefit from it. But, no, those business people would rather spend hundreds of millions, counting personal donations too, just to fight President Obama. To me that's un-American.

[asif haider]

04:51 AM on 01/12/2011

LIBERAL and Conservatives! explain whats wrong with making insurance company spend 89 cents out of every 100 cents intake? 89 cents for health care! your health care. this is mandatory. so if they are increasing your premium by 59% their childish increase of premium doesnt mean anything they can only profit 11 cents.

[Julie Chrisranjana]

04:01 AM on 01/12/2011

Good decision that the chamber is not ready to spend anymore money in repealing the law that has already been signed by the president. Half the economy go in framing and re framing the laws, but now this extra piece of economy be used to refrain the health care law on how it could be better used for the welfare of the people.

http://www.chrisranjana.com

[nualak]

01:48 AM on 01/12/2011

I didn't vote for you to make laws. You have no place in lawmaking discourse. You and your Corporate buddies are the ruination of the country

[RoofinReality]

01:37 AM on 01/12/2011

Lieberman, in 2006, talked about Medicare for all. In fall of 2009, he changed his mind. Obama couldn't get it through without Nelson, Landrieu, Lincoln and (I think) Bayh. He got thru what he could.

[TresJolie7]

01:50 AM on 01/12/2011

Please don't bring facts into this discussion. ;)

[RoofinReality]

12:44 PM on 01/13/2011

My bad. That's the only way I can refute foolishness by those who complain about the public option or single payor not being the law of the land today.

I still say, had Obama pushed it to a vote in the first 6 mos, like Bush did with his 2001 tax cut, maybe it would've gotten through. But after the screaming and shouting at the town hall meetings, it was going to be difficult to get anything through. Obama did and for that, President Obama, Sen. Reid and especially then-Sepaker Pelosi deserve a great deal of credit and sincer thanks.

[rosal]

12:24 AM on 01/12/2011

What a surprise, does anybody really thought he was going to disobey his masters, the profiteers?

[AbolishtheFedNow]

11:44 PM on 01/11/2011

How can a law forcing people to buy for-profit health insurance be Constitutional? To order this in 2014 or any other year is dishonest and cowardly. Medicare for everyone would have been so easy to explain and enact over time but of course, the health insurance lobby would have no part it and Obama has proven to be in the back pocket of the banks and mega-corporations at every turn.

[idahoo]

12:34 AM on 01/12/2011

i agree 100%. there was/is absolutely no reason for the Fed to invent a entirely new (and extremely complicated) system when they already have two (2) well established and working medical insurance systems in-place (Medicare and the VA) which could have easily been expanded upon at a fraction of the cost that Obamacare will cost. this is the mother of all boondoggles.

[RoofinReality]

01:39 AM on 01/12/2011

See my post from 2 mins ago as my reply to your post.

[markie G]

11:20 PM on 01/11/2011

ok, folks---it's official, now----if the chamber is for repeal, that means not repealing it is good for the middle class----act and vote accordingly

[One more Thing]

10:50 PM on 01/11/2011

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce would support a bill to make beef jerky from poor people if a member wanted to do that.

[markie G]

11:18 PM on 01/11/2011

soylent..green...is........PEOPLE---AAAHHHHHHRRRGGGHH

[tiredofpc]

10:38 PM on 01/11/2011

Of course he does. The Chamber of Conference is responsible for buying more than one Congressman in the past election.

[One more Thing]

10:53 PM on 01/11/2011

The CofC owns or threatens EVERY member of Congress. There is no escaping the Chamber. They have each member mark "for" or "against" us and set their stragegy accordingly.

[Boomer946]

10:13 PM on 01/11/2011

The CofC could be a smokescreen for the healthcare industry which stands to gain about 30 million new customers in 2014. This maybe a case of someone protesting something they really, really want. The Cof C knows that those 30 million new insured will provide a lot of revenue for the healthcare industry. The healthcare folks are very good at collecting premiums and very good at putting the slow drag on paying out claims. I don't think the healthcare insurers are going to fight alongside the Repugs and the CofC. Too much new revenue and profits at stake.

[AFunkyNight]

09:59 PM on 01/11/2011

Open Letter to Republibag­­­gers :

HOW MUCH DOES A LIFE COST ? or (45,000 more that d1e each year from lack of medical care)? ...

YOU HAVE TRIED TO SCORE POLITICAL POINTS and act like you actually stood for something.

Explain how the great republibag­­­ger party has had numerous administra­­­tions over a CENTURY to actually do something about people suffering or d1eing ....and did nothing about it .?

MEDICARE - NO
SOCIAL SECURITY - NO

YOUR basic philosophy is that all women MUST give birth, but as soon as that child comes into this world ...pick yourself up by your bootstraps ..and if you need help ..seek charity if the tax cut we gave did not help.

- A tax cut for people that have no jobs
- A tax cut for people that have no homes
- A tax cut for people that have no insurance to seek medical help
- A tax cut so another biillionai­­­re can horde their money and never spend a fraction of it within MULTIPLE lifetimes (even though they try )

TRY to fumble, bumble and stumble away from the fact that THIS BLACK DEMOCRATIC President got er' done while you all tried to obstruct and lie, because the American people saw your callousnes­­­s.

and will remember when HC is implemente­­d for them .

Regards,
F_unky :) ...

[rpmcestmoi]

09:53 PM on 01/11/2011

You can hear The sound of this sadistic pup's mom turning over in the grave.
You can birth them and try to guide them but the result is not in your hands. This resultvwould havevto involve an unreasonable amount of handwashing.

[AveragePatriot]

09:46 PM on 01/11/2011

But the CofC has been donating so many millions of dollars to the political campaign... Oh, wait...