Conservative Democrats who voted down health reform aren’t jumping aboard the GOP’s push to repeal the law. On Friday morning, the House voted 236 to 181 to move forward with its health care repeal bill, clearing the path for a Wednesday vote on the measure. Only four Democrats voted with Republicans on the procedural vote: Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.), Larry Kissell (D-NC), Mike McIntyre (D-NC), and Mike Ross (D-Ark.). Boren and Ross had already vowed to vote for repeal, and it now looks like they’ll be joined by at least two other Blue Dogs.
But other anti-reform Democrats have already suggested that they’ll vote against repealing the law. As I reported on Wednesday, Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) said that taking away the benefits of reform from Americans who’ve already received them would be “immoral.” Politico reports that other anti-reform Blue Dogs like Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) are also leaning against reform, while a few others remain uncommitted. The bulk of the Blue Dogs who voted against health reform were voted out of office in November, with just 13 anti-reform Democrats left in the House. And the Blue Dogs who vote against repeal could give the Democrats more ammunition against the GOP and help persuade moderate voters of the benefits of reform.*
*Update: This post has been abridged from the original.
