First Edition: November 5, 2010

Today's news continues to include speculation about how the GOP will flex its newly won political muscle in the context of health reform -- To repeal or not to repeal? And when? Those seem to be the questions.

Transcript: Boehner And Obama On Election Results And Health Law
From Kaiser Health News:  In the wake of the GOP victories on election night, incoming House Speaker Boehner and President Obama responded to questions about the impact of health reform on the vote (Kaiser Health News). Watch a related video.

Health-Care Law Likely To Remain Intact Under Divided Congress, At Least For Now
Can Republican lawmakers repeal the law? Chances are slim to nil, at least through 2012. Although Republicans have regained control of the House, they will remain in the minority in the Senate. So it's unlikely that Congress could pass a repeal bill. But even if that were to change, as long as President Obama remains in office, it's a safe bet that he would veto such a measure (The Washington Post).

New Governors To Target Health Law
Newly elected Republican governors are planning to blunt key parts of the federal health overhaul and join lawsuits against it, suggesting states could trump Congress as the hottest front in the fight over the law (The Wall Street Journal).

GOP Asserts New Strength, Targets Obama Programs
Victorious at the polls, congressional Republicans asserted their newfound political strength on Thursday, vowing to seek a quick $100 billion in federal spending cuts and force repeated votes on the repeal of President Barack Obama's prized health care overhaul (The Associated Press).

For GOP, Big Ambitions Face Daunting Obstacles
Republicans' pledge to "defund" the health care law portends another battle. Mr. Obama could veto such legislation, though Republicans could package such moves in larger bills he wants, making a veto problematic. It is unclear whether federal agencies could perhaps reprogram money intended for other purposes to make up for any money blocked by Congress (The New York Times).

GOP Deciding Which Direction To Go With New Authority After Midterm Victory
In a speech to the conservative Heritage Foundation, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) promised that his emboldened party will try to repeal the health-care law that was passed this year, to block spending increases for most federal agencies and to cut some funding that Congress has already approved. Yet McConnell has also spent recent weeks studying Republicans' 1994 midterm election victory, in which the party won back Congress, and urged his colleagues not to forget one of its lessons: the power of the veto (The Washington Post).

Coats Vows To Push For Repeal Of Health Law
NPR's Robert Siegel talks to the new senator-elect from Indiana -- Dan Coats -- a Republican returning to a job he served in from 1988 to 1998. He defeated Democrat Brad Ellsworth to fill the seat vacated by Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh. Coats says that he will push for the repeal of the health care legislation passed under the last Congress. He also denies that he will be influenced by his career as a lobbyist -- a job he had since he was last in office (NPR).

Mitch McConnell: Rapid Health Repeal Unlikely
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky conceded that a full repeal of the health care law won't be possible in the short term but pledged that Republicans would use their new oversight powers in the House to keep pressure on the Obama administration and Democrats (Politico).

Gibbs: GOP Efforts To Repeal Healthcare Won't Get Past Senate
The White House does not think President Obama will have to veto legislation repealing his signature legislative accomplishments. Though Republicans are rattling their sabers with threats to repeal the new healthcare and financial regulatory laws, the White House feels safe with its buffer in the Democratic Senate (The Hill).

Health-Care Reform: After Big GOP Gains, Will It Be Repealed?
Even with a broad and historic majority, House Republicans have formidable roadblocks to delivering on a top campaign promise: to repeal or dismantle comprehensive health-care reform (The Christian Science Monitor).

High-Risk Insurance Pools Are Attracting Few
After the health care law passed, concerns emerged immediately that a $5 billion appropriation would not be nearly enough to cover the hordes expected to enroll in a network of new insurance pools for people with pre-existing conditions. The government's health care actuary projected that hundreds of thousands of otherwise uninsurable people would rush to gain coverage this year, and that the money would be exhausted by 2012 (The New York Times).

Health-Care Industry Still Braces For Change
Repeal of the federal health-care overhaul was central to many Republican campaigns this season. But even with the House changing hands, health insurers, drug companies and hospitals said they were planning as if the law will stick (The Wall Street Journal).

Citing Health Overhaul, AARP Hikes Employee Costs
AARP's endorsement helped secure passage of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Now the seniors' lobby is telling its employees their insurance costs will rise partly as a result of the law (The Associated Press).

CT Scans Cut Lung Cancer Deaths, Study Finds
Annual CT scans of current and former heavy smokers reduced their risk of death from lung cancer by 20 percent, a huge government-financed study has found. Even more surprising, the scans seem to reduce the risks of death from other causes as well, suggesting that the scans could be catching other illnesses (The New York Times).

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