VOA常速英语:House Republicans Challenge Obama Health Care

The new Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is voting Wednesday to repeal President Barack Obama’s top legislative accomplishment, health care reform.  Democrats defended the new law, saying it protects Americans from the unfair practices of some insurance companies. Republicans called the law a "government takeover" of health care.

Most Republican lawmakers campaigned against President Obama’s health care law, calling it "Obamacare" ahead of the November midterm elections, when Republicans took back majority control of the House but not the Senate. Republican Representative Mike Pence said Wednesday’s repeal vote is not a symbolic act, but a promise kept to voters.

"So I urge my colleagues to join us in repealing this government takeover of health care before it ever takes effect, and then work
with us, as we build healthcare reform that is worthy of the American people," said Pence.

Republican efforts to repeal the law outright are virtually certain to fail now, because Democratic Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said he will not even bring health care repeal to a vote in the Senate. President Obama also has stated that he would veto any repeal bill that comes to his desk.

The president said he is willing to work with both Democrats and Republicans to improve certain aspects of the bill, but called on Republicans not to "go backwards" and urged them not to take away the increased security for Americans he said the law provides. The law, when it is fully implemented, will bar insurance companies from refusing coverage to patients with pre-existing conditions and will extend health insurance to more than 30 million currently uninsured Americans.

Democratic Representative Rush Holt said the law ushers in a new era. "The law insures that health insurance companies actually have to provide health insurance, not just in name. But it requires that they spend your premium dollars on actually providing health care."

Most of the Republican lawmakers, though, voiced concerns about the costs of implementing the law, including Republican Representative Todd Rokita of Indiana. "Health care is not a right, and if we are not careful the 'feel good' empty promises made in this law will bankrupt our country, and leave our grandkids to pay for it."

Republicans said if they cannot repeal the law as long as Obama is president, they will try to cut off funding for implementation.
The controversial issue of reforming America’s health care system has dominated Congress for much of the past two years.

Democrats finally managed to pass health care reform legislation though both houses of Congress almost one year ago along a straight party line vote. Public opinion polls show that Americans also are divided over the law, with about 48 percent currently opposing it, and about 40 percent supporting it. Both Democrats and Republicans are likely to use the current debate to try to sway public opinion to their side of the issue.