Health law implementation continues to trigger friction across party lines, and among Democrats

Jul 20 2013

After a weekend of high-profile action related to the health law, news outlets note that polls indicate the it remains a divisive issue -- a point that was evident with this week's House vote to delay the employer and individual mandates, as well as Democrats' reactions to it.

The Washington Post's The Fix: The Health-Care Law Isn't All That Popular. And That's Not Changing
Of the opposition to the law -; particularly within House Republican circles -; Obama said: "We're just going to blow through that stuff and keep on doing the right thing for the American people." Judging from polls, Obama shouldn't expect to blow through much of anything when it comes to health-care law, however. The Kaiser Family Foundation has been tracking the popularity -; or, perhaps better put, unpopularity of the bill-now-law for quite some time (Cilizza, 7/18).

National Journal: Democrats' Couch Time Is Over On Obamacare
Republicans have had the Affordable Care Act battlefield to themselves for a long time, but the pro-Obamacare forces are coming off the couch. The intense back-and-forth of the past few days is a taste of what's to come as the most contentious parts of the law start phasing in this fall (Lawrence, 7/18).

The Hill: Dem Anxiety Over Obamacare Shows In House Mandate Vote
Vulnerable House Democrats laid low Thursday after voting to delay two key Obamacare mandates over a White House veto threat. The hush from centrist Dems came after a considerable number cast ballots alongside Republicans on Wednesday for bills designed to embarrass the Obama administration (Viebeck, 7/19).

WBUR: Here & Now: Affordable Care Act Continues To Divide Obama, Lawmakers (Audio)
A day after House lawmakers voted for delays in implementing health care reform, President Obama today made a push for his Affordable Care Act, claiming that consumers will see rebates averaging around $100 from health insurance companies under the ACA. House lawmakers voted largely on party lines yesterday to delay when individuals must have health insurance. They also affirmed an Obama administration decision to delay when larger employers must offer health coverage to their workers (7/18).