Health
House Starts its Obamacare Repeal March
This March 1, 2014 file photo shows part of the website for HealthCare.gov, photographed in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)
(Politico) – The House easily passed legislation Thursday afternoon changing the Affordable Care Act’s definition of a full-time workweek to 40 hours, the first step in the new Republican Congress’ plan to dismantle as much of Obamacare as it can.
The House has cleared more than 50 assorted measures to repeal or roll back Obamacare, but this is the first time the House can propel legislation to a GOP-controlled Senate, potentially forcing President Barack Obama to either accept changes to his signature domestic achievement or use his veto power.
Supporters of the workweek bill in both the House and Senate have said the revision — which defines full-time as 40 hours instead of 30 — has bipartisan support and the White House should be open to enacting it. But it’s still not certain that the Senate will get the bipartisan 60 votes to pass it.
On Thursday, 12 House Democrats joined 240 Republicans in approving the measure, and 172 Democrats voted against it. Last year, 18 Democrats backed it.
