- The Washington Times - Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Senate Republicans leaders said Tuesday they will force a vote in the coming days on repealing the health care reform law, an action Democrats promised would end in defeat.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said he will offer the repeal measure as an amendment to an aviation safety bill that is being debating. He said all 47 Senate Republicans are on board to vote for the repeal.

“We had already promised the American people that we would as early as possible vote on repealing Obamacare,” Mr. McConnell said.

The Republicans’ repeal proposal comes a day after a judge in Florida ruled that Congress breached the Constitution when it passed the health care law last year. U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson was the second jurist to say that Congress exceeded its powers by requiring Americans to buy insurance, known as the “individual mandate.”

Mr. McConnell said that while the court decision was significant, “we would have moved ahead in any event.”

The Republican-controlled House last month voted to repeal the measure, which had the support of every Republican in the chamber.

But Senate Democratic leaders condemned the repeal proposal, saying it was undermining a vital Federal Aviation Authority bill that they said would update the nation’s antiquated aircraft navigation system and would create or save almost 300,000 jobs.

“It’s not going to go anyplace,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, of the repeal proposal.

Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, also predicted the amendment will lose.

“Eighty percent of the American people oppose repeal of health care reform,” he said, “and yet the Republicans in the House, and now the Republicans in the Senate, think that this is the single most important, highest priority thing for them to do.

“What they’re doing is bowing to the tea party.”

The repeal vote could come as soon as late Tuesday.

• Sean Lengell can be reached at slengell@washingtontimes.com.

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