By Tom Toth
After sweeping the electoral map on Tuesday, the Republican Party has a clear, historically powerful mandate from the American people: stop Obama and his healthcare takeover.
And there’s a clear plan to do just that.
In an election night interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz outlined exactly how a Republican majority can begin to deconstruct Obamacare to help those hurt worst by the law.
First, use reconciliation to repeal the bill. When Obama vetoes that, then proceed to remove the most onerous portions of Obamacare.
For example, codify an add-on to the law stating that people can’t lose their insurance or access to their doctors because of Obamacare regulations — every plan that Americans purchased and enjoy will not be threatened by Obamacare.
Pass legislation saying you can’t be forced into a part-time job due to Obamacare limits on employee coverage.
Prohibit bailouts to insurance companies under Obamacare — forcing a marketplace driven by sound business decisions, rather than unsustainable, taxpayer-funded rules and regulations.
End Obamacare’s ridiculous medical devices tax.
Cruz finished off, saying, “force the President to face those single, rifle-shot repeals and decide whether he’s going to listen to the American people or just remain an absolute partisan. And, you know, if he vetoes those bills, I think there’s a real chance we might be able to get the votes to override those vetoes.”
These are only a few of the common sense actions that the American people should expect a Republican majority to pass, along with the help of politically vulnerable Democrats, to force the choice on Barack Obama between the well-being of American families and the viability of his damaging namesake law. He may find that these common sense, piecemeal changes have veto-proof support.
It should be noted that one year ago, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee were being preemptively blamed for possibly costing the GOP a majority in the Senate and more seats in the House due to their efforts to use Congressional power of the purse to defund Obamacare. Of course, what happened was quite the opposite.
Given how many Republican candidates across the nation ran on an anti-Obamacare platform to a historic landslide victory, Lee and Cruz should have the respect of every conservative for laying the political groundwork for 2014’s landslide.
If Republicans are intent on stopping Obamacare and future efforts toward socialized medicine, now is the time to capitalize on Obama’s folly, pick the law apart piece-by-piece, and dare anyone running for public office in 2016 to support the law or oppose its changes.
Tom Toth is the digital content director and a contributing editor for Americans for Limited Government.
