Dem Rep.: 'The Health Care Debate Is Over'

[DonViejo]

IGOR BOBIC – DECEMBER 3, 2013, 3:23 PM EST

Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) on Tuesday claimed that with the passage of Obamacare, the American people consider the heath care debate now over, and as such Washington such focus on repairing the sluggish economy.

"I have a contrarian view, the American people know the health care debate is over, that we've got to make this work," he said on MSNBC. "The real issue is going to be the economy. The average wages of working Americans declined in the past ten years, how do we restore growth in the pocket books not just in the stock market for the American people?"

"We've got to lean in on that and start addressing the concerns of parents trying to send their kids to college, get them jobs," he added. "Retirement security, these are things that have been put on the side and it's really a discredit that Congress isn't focusing on middle class concerns."

Contrary to Welch, many Republicans feel that the Affordable Care Act was never really litigated throughout the 2012 campaign. "We haven't had a big debate about Obamacare really since it passed in Congress," Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said in October, as the GOP mounted a fight to shutdown the government over the law. "And so I think it was helpful to have the debate."

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/dem-rep-the-health-care-debate-is-over

[Laelth]

1. Agreed. The economy is what matters most now. n/t

-Laelth

[Mass]

2. It seems so. They seem to be focusing on

Obama's alleged circumventing of Congress and "lying" now, and not on what the law itself does. Hopefully, the GOP House leadership has interns to post their tweets, because otherwise, this is a huge loss of my tax dollars today.

Interesting comment by Paul. What does he think the House has been doing all this time, if not relitigating the law.

I agree about the economy, too.

[jaysunb]

3. Maybe Paul should check to see how it's working

in Kentucky.

[CTyankee]

4. It's great! Declare the war over. We won. You lost. Get over it.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Hasn't the ACA basically been litigated non-stop

since 2009? Additionally, it went to SCOTUS in 2012 and was ruled constitutional, it survived 40+ repeal votes in the House, and Romney and the Republicans did not win the 2012 Election and now it is being implemented. How has it NOT been sufficiently litigated by now? Heck, it's the LAW, now- for better or for worse (though it would be arguably better if the Republicans weren't so intent on sabotaging it at every turn). The only way that I would be even halfway interested in hearing about repealing ACA is if some kind of single-payer system were being aggressively pushed or if the Republicans could come up with a plan that they like that does the same as ACA (or better)- though I can't imagine for the life of me what that would look like. Selling insurance across state lines and/or "tort reform"- two "pet rock" ideas the Republicans are constantly pushing- isn't a real plan IMHO.