Guinta's Dilemma: Repeal Healthcare or Reduce Debt

by: William Tucker

Wed Nov 17, 2010 at 23:09:58 PM EST

A report from the non-partisan U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds the the cost control provisions in the Affordable Care Act produce a "notable improvement in the long-term outlook" for debt reduction if the law is implemented fully.

The federal government faces long-term fiscal pressures ... driven on the spending side largely by rising health care costs and an aging population. GAO's simulations show continually increasing levels of debt that are unsustainable over the long-term.

Both of these simulations incorporate effects of health care legislation enacted in March 2010, which includes a number of provisions to control the growth of federal health care spending. There is a notable improvement in the long-term outlook under the Baseline Extended simulation, which assumes full implementation and effectiveness of cost control provisions.

I guess Frank Guinta didn't get the memo. Guinta claims to be focused on balancing the budget, but he never misses an opportunity to call for repealing healthcare reform. And he doesn't stop there. If can't eliminate it, he'll work to reduce its effectiveness.

“Procedurally, if it gets to the president’s desk and he vetoes it, the reality is that we don’t have the votes to override,” said Guinta. “So we’re going to have to work immediately after that to do three things: No. 1, reduce the cost of the overall bill. No. 2, eliminate the unconstitutional components of it. And No. 3, do what many people in this country wanted to see done in the first place, which is to reduce costs for employers and employees.”

So tell us Frank, how are you going to make up for the big budget hole that healthcare repeal will leave behind?

Cross-posted to Miscellany Blue