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Coming back to bite him Republicans want to repeal Barack Obamas health laws. How badly could they hurt the reformsand how much will this help them in Novembers elections? Oct 14th 2010 | NEW YORK WHAT does Mrs DAmico care about most? That question, concerning a fictional but representative constituent from his Long Island base, is one that preoccupies Steve Israel, a moderate Democratic congressman from New York. He worries that the answer, all too often, is Barack Obamas controversial new health-care reform bill, enacted back in March. His strategy has been to tackle the issue head-on, by trumpeting the virtues of Obamacare, such as the planned end to lifetime caps on insurance payouts or the guarantee that insurance must be offered to all, without discrimination on the grounds of pre-existing conditions. I just got sick of the Republicans getting away with murder, he declares. This makes him a rare bird, for most Democrats running for re-election are staying mum or apologising for their votes for reform. Republicans, who have noisily declared their intention to repeal the new health laws if they win control of Congress, appear to have found a useful weapon in the campaign. An outright repeal is impossible, as Mr Obama could simply veto any such bill. So Republicans are planning instead a strategy of defunding the new health law. Even Tom Daschle, a prominent Democratic former senator, thinks this is the Republicans best weapon. In Getting It Done, a new book published this week, he declares It would be all too easy to kill the reform effort not by repealing it, but by starving it. The bill will need over $100 billion in around 100 new authorisations over the next decade, all of which will require approval from Congress. Besides that, the Republicans could attach provisions to vital bills, such as the budget, that would forbid federal workers (say, at the Internal Revenue Service) from implementing the law. Congressman Paul Ryan, an influential Republican from Wisconsin, insists that Well try every angle, from defunding to budget reconciliation. | 
