GOP to Take Up Health-Care Repeal

It looks like Obama’s call for civility will be put to the test early next week, when House Republicans take up their proposed health-care repeal. Activity on Capitol Hill was postponed in observation of the tragedy in Tucson, but the GOP has announced plans to resume repeal efforts, citing White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. “As the White House noted,” said the spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, “it is important for Congress to get back to work.” Democrats, for their part, had hoped the Republicans would wait until after the president’s State of the Union address on January 25. So, will the House be able to take up health care without the rancor and demonization that characterized the issue in 2009? The first debate doesn’t bode well: Some Democrats requested Republicans take “killing” out of the name of the repeal bill, “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act,” but Republicans declined.