Coburn: With Obama still in office, GOP can only ‘nip at’ healthcare law

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said Friday that with President Barack Obama in office, Republicans can only take small steps to roll back the new healthcare law.

Coburn said that Republicans can only “nip at” the law until healthcare opponents take back the White House and gain majorities in Congress, or gain veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate.

{mosads}”We can nip at it through riders and appropriations bills and other things, but we can’t truly repeal it until after the 2012 presidential election,” he said in a podcast with a conservative blogger.

Republicans have debated how and when to attempt to repeal the healthcare law that no member of the party voted for in Congress.

Many conservative activists and Republican lawmakers have argued for full repeal right away, but others have said that won’t be possible.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who is facing a primary challenge this election cycle, has said GOPers are looking for ways to sidestep a presidential veto if they get a congressional majority this fall.

McCain said earlier this month that inserting language into appropriations bills would get rid of healthcare funding.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said this week that a similar strategy could result in a government shutdown if Obama decides to veto the spending bill with the repeal language included. 

Coburn also faces reelection this fall but is expected to win his race.

Democrats have warned that pushing for repeal would doom GOPers in the
fall, because it would mean they would have to advocate for an act that
would take away health insurance coverage for over 30 million people.