The GOP-led House of Representatives obviously still believes it's in their political interests to oppose President Obama's health care reform plan, even though it's now less than six months away from fully being implemented. With their eyes on the 2014 midterms and "Obamacare" still struggling in the polls, the House Republicans don't care that they're being mocked by media types for voting last month - for the 37th time - to repeal Obama's signature domestic achievement.
Though we don't hear too often what specifically the Republicans would do to provide healthcare to the millions currently uninsured, it's still good politics with the hard core conservative base, which is why it shouldn't be surprising in a way that Marco Rubio said with a straight face this morning on Fox News that he can envision Obama suspending the plan, in an interview with the cable networks' Bill Hammer.
For those of you who don't want to watch the video, here's the transcript:
Senator Marco Rubio: “Well on ObamaCare, I think he needs to walk away from that and basically suspend its implementation. It is going to be a disaster. So I’m telling you right now there are people watching this program, maybe even people that supported ObamaCare, but when they get their premiums in January and they see how much that has increased, or when they get moved from full time to part time, they’re not going to be happy and the president is going to have some questions to answer.”FOX News’ Bill Hemmer: “You just said he should suspend the key piece of legislation passed under his administration, ObamaCare. Do you see that happening?”
Rubio: “Yeah, absolutely. I think it should be repealed. I don’t think he’s going to have a choice to be honest with you. I think it’s going to be debilitating to our economy. Look, at some point here over the next weeks and months people are going to start meeting with their accountants and going over what they’re going to have to pay and do next year, and they’re going to make decisions based on that. They’re going to drop coverage, they’re going to move, they’re going to lay people off, they’re not going to hire people. They’re going to move people to part time, and peoples’ premiums are going to go up. I’m telling you people next year in January when they get their new insurance, it is going to be more expensive for millions and millions of Americans because of ObamaCare. So, I think they’re going to be in a world of hurt when that happens, but worse than that our country and our economy is going to be in a world of hurt because of that.”
Although Democrats and some members of the media have mocked the GOP for their stubborn behavior on what is now the law of the land, the fact is the law is as unpopular now as it ever has been since becoming law three years. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey from last week showed that 49 percent of those polled oppose the law, and 37 percent support it.
Going inside the poll, the two biggest groups to support the bill are A) Democrats and B) the uninsured.
By a 35 percent-to-11 percent margin, Democrats say they'll be better off under the health care law. But Republicans say they'll be worse off, 67 percent to 4 percent.