Black Votes Defund Two Major Sections of ObamaCare

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Representative Diane Black (R-TN), voted for H.R. 1213 and H.R. 1214, two bills that would gut funding from the President’s health care law. 

The first, H.R. 1213 which was passed yesterday, repeals the Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary’s authority to spend a blank check in order to establish state-based health insurance exchanges—a power she would have exercised without any Congressional Authority.  The Congressional Budget Office estimates repeal of this section of the health care law would reduce the deficit by $14 billion. 

H.R. 1214, passed today, would halt the Administration’s ability to fund construction of school-based health centers.  As part of the health care law, $200 million was set aside to build these facilities, but the Administration is strictly prohibited from spending health care funds on staff for the centers or to provide health care services.

“As the House continues its work to dismantle ObamaCare, it becomes more and more clear just how damaging the president’s health care law is for this country,” said Black.  “Not only does the law make health care more expensive and harder to access, but it balloons the size and scope of government beyond Congressional control.  This law gives blank checks to federal bureaucrats, allows agencies to implement policies without any oversight from Congress, taking power away from the American people.”

In April, Black voted for H.R. 1217, a bill that eliminates a $17.75 billion so called “slush fund” created in ObamaCare.  This repeal bill passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 236-183.

After voting to completely repeal the health care law in early January, the House of Representatives directed its committees to begin to dismantle and replace key provisions in the law.  As a part of this effort, the Committee on Ways and Means introduced a proposal to repeal the 1099 tax reporting provisions—a major funder of the health care law—that would have buried small businesses in paperwork.  1099 repeal passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by the president earlier this month.

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