GOP doubles down on healthcare

House Republicans, buoyed by the Supreme Court’s rough questioning of the administration’s healthcare reform law over the past three days, are doubling down on their attacks against President Obama’s signature domestic achievement.

House committees are expected to see a surge of activity over the next few weeks, a House aide said, as Republicans seek to capitalize on the healthcare law’s perceived legal troubles. Floor action on legislation repealing or replacing parts of the law, however, isn’t expected until after the high court rules in June.

{mosads}”We’re here today at the end of an extraordinary week in the history of the Democrats’ healthcare overhaul,” said Ways and Means health subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-Calif.). “The cornerstones of the Democrats’ healthcare law are crumbling under the weight of scrutiny.”

Herger’s subcommittee on Thursday took aim with a twin-barreled shot at the law’s individual and employer mandates. The lawmakers first heard from a panel of lawyers who recapitulated their Supreme Court amicus briefs against the mandate, before grilling business owners about the likely consequences of the law’s requirement that most businesses provide insurance to their employees or pay a penalty.

{mosads}That second panel in particular created momentum for legislation repealing the employer mandate, which has 208 co-sponsors — including four Democrats: Reps. John Barrow (Ga.), Dan Boren (Okla.), Mike McIntyre (N.Y.) and Mike Ross (Ark.). The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. (R-La.), said he hopes Herger will schedule a markup for his bill, possibly after the court rules.

Boustany told The Hill he’s “optimistic” after hearing the court’s questioning of the law’s individual mandate that Republicans are on a roll.

“We need to continue to work at formulating our approach to healthcare,” he said. “We need a good solid approach and we need to be ready to pivot depending on what the court does.”

Democrats were left to play defense.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a member of Herger’s subcommittee, said Thursday’s hearings were just a way for Republicans to “deflect” attention from their vote in favor of Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal, which would give seniors the option to buy private coverage instead of traditional Medicare and cut Medicaid spending by more than $800 billion over 10 years below current projections.

“I don’t read too much into this hearing … other than the fact that we’re not really doing anything with substance going forward,” Blumenauer said. “I’d do anything to deflect attention to the budget that’s going to be voted on today. I would have as many diversions as I could, because when they get a chance to try and present their alternatives, they’re not good for the country and people know it.”