As expected, President Barack Obama vetoed a Republican-backed measure that would have repealed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Republicans in the House and Senate had guided through bills designed to repeal the health insurance program known colloquially as Obamacare.
And while the GOP never anticipated that the legislation would receive the president's signature, the party nonetheless claimed a moral victory in merely pushing the measure as far as the White House.
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The president took the opportunity to once again underscore what he believes is the core value of PPACA: It takes a bold step in the direction of true access to quality medical care for all Americans.
And, of course, he attacked the GOP as the party that wants to take health insurance away from people who need it the most.
"Republicans in the Congress have attempted to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act over 50 times," Obama said in a veto message Friday. "Rather than refighting old political battles by once again voting to repeal basic protections that provide security for the middle class, members of Congress should be working together to grow the economy, strengthen middle-class families, and create new jobs."
While House Speaker Paul Ryan (R,WI) promised a veto override vote, the numbers aren't currently there for the GOP to make that happen.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
