John Boehner Wants To Kill The Health Care Law

Link to original article: John Boehner: I'll kill health care law

By Eric Bradley • ebradley@enquirer.com • September 8, 2010

The man who could be the next House Speaker declared Wednesday he would kill health care reform before it "bankrupts" the country.

In a wide-ranging, hour-long meeting with the Enquirer editorial board, John Boehner said he intends to attempt to repeal or block funding for the health care legislation passed earlier this year.

"They'll get not one dime from us. Not a dime. There is no fixing this," said the West Chester Republican.

With the November election looming, Congressional Democrats are running from their association with the controversial bill "like scalded dogs," the 10-term congressman said.

"You put the health care bill on the floor today, not any chance in the world that they can pass it."

The Democratic National Committee had a ready response to Boehner's aggressive stance.

"In short, John Boehner's idea of good health care policy is to repeal tax cuts and offer not a dime to help small businesses, retract 'donut hole' reimbursement checks - not a dime for Ohio's seniors - and allow insurance companies to deny coverage to sick children," said spokesman Alec Gerlach. "If that's Leader Boehner's plan, we encourage him to lead his party in making that case to voters this year. What's the next move for John Boehner's master plan to reform health care in America, handing out health insurance industry checks on the House floor?"

The check reference refers to criticism Boehner received in 1995 for handing out checks from a tobacco company political action committee on the House floor, a practice for which he later apologized.

Boehner's remarks came on a day that began with his appearance on "Good Morning America" touting a two-point plan to get America's economy moving again - by extending the Bush tax cuts for two years and freezing non-security related federal budget items at 2008 levels.

President Barack Obama was also in Ohio on Wednesday, speaking in Cleveland - the same city where Boehner recently ridiculed Obama's economic stewardship.

There, Obama strongly defended his opposition to the Bush-era tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and delivered a searing attack on Republicans and Boehner for advocating "the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place."

Obama said the struggling U.S. economy can't afford to spend $700 billion to keep lower tax rates in place for the nation's highest earners.

“Let me be clear to Mr. Boehner and everyone else. We should not hold middle class tax cuts hostage any longer,” the president said. The administration “is ready this week to give tax cuts to every American making $250,000 or less,” he said.

Actually, Obama and other Democratic leaders want to extend the tax cuts except for individuals making over $200,000 a year – or families earning over $250,000. The sweeping series of Bush tax cuts expires at the end of this year unless Congress renews them.

Obama also went after Boehner, who is in line to become House speaker if Republicans win control of the House in November's midterm elections.

In Boehner's remarks on Aug. 24, Obama said, the Republican leader offered "no new ideas. There was just the same philosophy we already tried for the last decade, the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place."

Boehner dismissed the president's attacks.

"Listen, this election is going to be a referendum on their job-killing policies and their stimulus spending. And they're desperate to change the subject any way they can."

Boehner, a former businessman, said employers are paralyzed by the uncertainty emanating from Washington regarding tax rates and the implementation of the health care bill. "There are nearly $2 trillion worth of corporate profits sitting in bank accounts because employers are scared to death. They don't know what to invest in because they don't know what the rules are."

Other subjects covered Wednesday by Boehner:

Democrats and Republicans have made a mockery of the legislative process in Congress, Boehner said. "There's so much scar tissue on both sides of the aisle, as a result of both parties. I've watched 20 years of the House operating. While I can argue it wasn't real good in the early '90s, all I can tell you is that it's gotten worse." He vowed to improve the tone of Congress by encouraging more open and full debate.

Though his stance may irk some in his district, Boehner stood firm on his refusal to seek earmarks. "I told my constituents in 1990, rightly or wrongly, I said: If you think my job is to go to Washington and rob the public treasury on your behalf, you're voting for the wrong guy," he said.

The Minority Leader said Americans need to have an "adult" conversation on issues such as Social Security and Medicare. He also said his earlier call for raising the Social Security retirement age to 70 was a mistake. "You've got to have the big conversation first. All that does is get you in trouble and blows up the conversation."

He responded to criticism that he plays too much golf. "Do I play golf? Yes. Do I play near as much golf as I would like? No."

Boehner countered Obama's plan to pump $50 billion into the economy for highway, rail, airport and other infrastructure projects by suggesting the funds be used in a highway bill.

Constituents in his district are concerned with jobs, spending, and health care issues, in that order. He countered questions about his availability. "We've got, I think, one of the best constituent services operations of any Congressional office. If you could do a survey of all the people that have asked our office for help, I would feel very good about what the result would be," said Boehner.

The Associated Press contributed.