Posted on 02/05/2012 9:07:49 PM PST by NaturalBornConservative
* Does a President have that authority?
* By: Larry Walker, Jr. *
In his Nevada victory speech, Mitt Romney once again publicly declared, “I will repeal Obamacare”. How so? Will Willard Mitt Romney single-handedly repeal Obamacare?
Although I am in favor of repealing Obamacare, and replacing it with a free-market solution, the last time I checked the Constitution, I wasn’t able to locate any passage granting the President of the United States the sole authority for repealing any law. Frankly I’m tired of hearing the same old false promise over and over again.
The truth is that in order to repeal or amend any federal legislation, Congress is required to follow the same procedures used in passing any new legislation. In other words, a new bill must be introduced by Congress either repealing or amending the existing law, and then it must pass both Houses of Congress, before being signed by the President.
So although the currently Republican controlled House of Representatives would favor repeal, the Democratic controlled Senate would not. And unless the Republican Party is able to win the presidency, along with a substantial majority in the Senate, while maintaining its present majority in the House; Mitt Romney won’t be repealing anything (i.e. He won’t be signing any repeal legislation.). As far as I’m concerned it’s just words.
What's disheartening is that while Romney has made this bold proclamation publicly, literally hundreds of times, offstage as Ben Domenech notes in his Transom, Mitt Romney’s advisors have now advised him to support not repealing Obamacare. Norm Coleman, an advisor to Romney, went on record saying:
“We’re not going to do repeal. You’re not going to repeal Obamacare… It’s not a total repeal… You will not repeal the act in its entirety, but you will see major changes, particularly if there is a Republican president… You can’t whole-cloth throw it out. But you can substantially change what’s been done.”
Now I took Romney’s ridiculous blurb about fixing any holes in the safety net that exists for the very poor, for whom he is otherwise unconcerned, as a joke. Thanks Mitt, for keeping the very poor out of the way, and in everlasting poverty [sarcasm]! But his ongoing pandering plea to conservatives, that giving him the nomination will somehow empower a president Romney to repeal Obamacare, or any other law, is outright dishonest.
It’s hard to see how Romney’s practice of discrediting Newt Gingrich, alienating hundreds of thousands of Reagan conservatives in the process, can aid in the party’s winning or maintaining substantial majorities in both houses of Congress, let alone winning the presidency. I haven’t heard Romney mention anything about that. All I’ve heard him ramble on lately is what he will do by his lonesome, whether or not it’s reasonably possible, or even constitutional.
But aside from that, in the remote possibility that Republicans were able to win substantial majorities in both Houses along with a Romney presidency, what would a Romney Administration replace Obamacare with? Wouldn’t we just wind up with fifty state-run Romneycare’s?
Talk is cheap. Dishonesty is worthless.
That’s right, lie to us Mitt. For we must defeat Obama at all costs – even if that means deceiving and destroying the Conservative movement, in the process. Will a real conservative please stand up and challenge this walking disaster before it’s too late?
Related: Mitt Romney’s Pro-Immigration Rant
I don’t know why someone (other than me and you) doesn’t point this out. It’s like this huge lie that is uttered constantly and everyone seems to just accept it. Even Newt.
Why he doesn’t challenge Romney to give specifics as to how he will do this is beyond me. Some thing can be done by executive order, but not REPEAL of a law. So Mitt is lying.
The only path to repeal requires control of the House and Senate, which is something Newt talks often about.
Yeah, but I think Newt said he would ask Congress to stay in session on January 3rd and pass a bill that he could sign on the first day, and that he would be presenting that bill to Congress in October, or something to that effect.
Yep, Newt specifically discussed the legislative repeal of Obamacare in his "17 days before inauguration" speech.
Man, that is a good point. I didn’t even think of it when he said it, but then I was rejecting him for the nomination.
If you have to ask the question...
Obamacare allows the president to issue waivers to its provisions, which Obama has so far done 1500 times.
What president Romney could do, legally, on Day 1 of his presidency, is to give the whole country a waiver. Which would, in practice, be repeal.
he just wants to rename it
I think all 4 candidates have pretty much said the same thing..they will repeal Obamacare. So that ceases to be an issue among the candidates.
> I think all 4 candidates have pretty much said the same thing..they will repeal Obamacare. So that ceases to be an issue among the candidates.
Are you missing your /sarc tag?
Some GOP candidates said they’ll fight Obamacare, and mean it.
Other GOP candidate (plural omitted) was the FATHER of Obamacare.
Get it?
Under the law, the President doesn't have the authority to grant waivers. One must apply for a waiver, and the waiver must then be reviewed and approved by HHS. A President cannot change a law by executive order.
Since Mitt was before it before he was against it, and was the creator of govt mandated healthcare: highly unlikely.
Good point you make. And it will be very hard to repeal it even with control of the House and Senate. Even at that repeal will have a hard time finding a majority.
You mean Romneycare? That is certainly an issue. And an important one. But I thought we are talking about repeal of Obamacare. If my memory serves me correctly, all 4 candidates have said they will repeal Obamacre. Whether you believe them is another issue. Who to believe? I believe no politician. They all say things we want to hear.
Obamacare allows the president to issue waivers to its provisions, which Obama has so far done 1500 times.
What president Romney could do, legally, on Day 1 of his presidency, is to give the whole country a waiver. Which would, in practice, be repeal.
Except for the large group of new government employees already hired and now sitting on their collective asses pulling wages, using office space...
Except for the reams of paper, millions of desks, millions of computers.. Millions of square feet of office space...
This Monster is already out of the gate. An EO is not going to fix it. Even Newts plan may come to late to kill it.
You mean Romneycare? That is certainly an issue. And an important one. But I thought we are talking about repeal of Obamacare. If my memory serves me correctly, all 4 candidates have said they will repeal Obamacre. Whether you believe them is another issue. Who to believe? I believe no politician. They all say things we want to hear.
Do you really, honestly, deep down inside.. Think Romney would do anything to kill Obamacare?
Lets look at his record..
Oh look at that, he supported and pushed for Romneycare, It was his dream. His baby and its the father of Obamacare.
Now, do you think Romney would do anything to kill it? It is after all his grandson.
Did he do anything to kill Romneycare? No, he cut and ran because he knew the voters where going to shove his Romneycare up his Romney.
Like I said I do not believe any politician, and Romney in particular. My guess is he will not repeal Obamacare in entirety, just portions of it. But again, I never hold my breath waiting for promises to be fulfilled by any politician. Call me a cynic.
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