Rove falsely claims “no Republican” supports repealing aid to small businesses in health care reform

Written by Todd Gregory

Published

Karl Rove claimed that Republicans were not “out there saying, 'Take away the $40 billion in small-business tax credits' ” in the health care reform legislation. But one day earlier, 39 Republican senators cast votes in support of fully repealing the legislation, including the provisions providing tax credits to small businesses.

Rove: "[N]o Republican's out there saying, 'Take away the $40 billion in small-business tax credits' "

From the March 25 edition of CNN's John King USA:

PRESIDENT OBAMA [video clip]: If these congressmen in Washington want to come here in Iowa and tell small-business owners that they plan to take away their tax credits and essentially raise their taxes, be my guest.

KING: Any worries that the president, now that this is signed, can sell it that way?

ROVE: Well, except that he's -- no Republican's out there saying, “Take away the $40 billion in small-business tax credits in this bill.” What they are saying is, “Get rid of the $466 billion dollars in subsidies to insurance companies that begin in 2014, and get rid of the $434 billion of federal dollars, plus hundreds of billions of dollars of state dollars, for a Medicaid expansion. Let us find a less costly way of solving this problem.”

GOP senators supported repeal of entire bill -- including small business tax credits

GOP-backed amendment: “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the amendments made by that Act, are repealed.” On March 22, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) introduced the “Patient Choice Restoration Act” as an amendment to the reconciliation bill then before Congress that would have fully repealed the health care legislation that Obama signed into law. From the Congressional Record:

SA 3553. Mr. VITTER submitted an amendment which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Patient Choice Restoration Act''.

SEC. 2. REPEAL.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the amendments made by that Act, are repealed.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act included tax credits for small businesses. Section 1421 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- which Vitter's amendment would have repealed in its entirety -- established a tax credit for small businesses that provide health insurance to employees.

39 Republicans voted against tabling Vitter's amendment. On March 24, the Senate voted 58-39 to table -- or suspend consideration of -- Vitter's amendment to repeal the bill in its entirety. All 39 Republican senators who cast a vote opposed setting aside Vitter's amendment to repeal the bill in its entirety.