House Spending Bill Cuts Funding For Exchanges
You don鈥檛 hear much these days about Republicans trying to repeal the 2010 health care law. The Supreme Court ruling last June upheld most of the measure. President Obama鈥檚 re-election and聽Democrats鈥 continued control of the Senate have helped 鈥淥bamacare鈥 implementation to move ahead.

But there is one way to slow things down: use the power of the purse.
The GOP-controlled House of Representatives on Wednesday passed through Sept. 30. 聽The measure keeps 鈥溾 — the $85 billion in automatic budget cuts that began March 1 鈥 in place. The bill would fund the government beyond March 27 when the current 鈥渃ontinuing resolution鈥 expires.
According to Rep. Nita Lowey, a New York Democrat who is the ranking 聽member of the House Appropriations Committee, the measure will delay implementation of the health law鈥檚 exchanges scheduled to begin enrolling individuals in October.
鈥淲ithout IT infrastructure to process enrollments and payments, verify eligibility and establish call centers, health insurance for millions of Americans could be further delayed,鈥 .
Funding for the health law’s implementation is one of many areas of federal spending cut as part of sequestration.
The House measure passed mostly along party lines by a vote of 261-151 but more than 50 Democrats supported the bill. Many Senate Democrats are expected to oppose the package, which is聽likely to be modified.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., said Wednesday he plans to offer an amendment on the floor that would delay funding of the 2010 health law.聽 Cruz has also introduced legislation to repeal the law.
The health聽law “should not be implemented at [a] time when our economy is struggling so mightily, at a time when its implementation could push us into a full recession,鈥 .
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky. praised passage of the House bill.
鈥淭he House did the right thing today by passing this legislation,” Rogers said.聽“As we try to get our fiscal house in order, it’s important to come together on issues where we can agree 鈥 avoiding a government shutdown, providing our people with essential services, and supporting our troops and veterans.”