Republicans' committee plans take shape amid health reform questions

The Hill: "House Ways and Means Chairman-to-be Dave Camp (R-Mich.) is making his case for repealing and replacing the healthcare overhaul, touting his own version of a bill that he says would reduce premiums." Camp made his case in a USA Today editorial and says the GOP plan would reduce premiums by up to 10 percent. Camp says his plan would reform medical malpractice lawsuits, allow Americans to buy health insurance across state lines, and gives "states the flexibility to make changes that best meet the needs of their residents." The Hill adds that Camp said the Republican plan also would guarantee that those with pre-existing conditions can obtain affordable coverage, prohibit insurers from 'unjustly canceling policies' and allow dependents to remain on their parents' policies through age 25" (Needham, 11/8).

Politico: "California Rep. Darrell Issa is already eyeing a massive expansion of oversight for next year, including hundreds of hearings; creating new subcommittees; and launching fresh investigations into the bank bailout, the stimulus and, potentially, health care reform. … To give an idea of how expansive Issa's oversight plans are, look at the record of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) when he chaired the oversight committee during in the 110th Congress during George W. Bush's presidency. Waxman held 203 oversight hearings in two years; Issa has signaled he's prepared to hold about 280 in just one year" (Sherman and Cohen, 11/8).

Related, earlier KHN story: House Takeover Will Give GOP Ways To Attack Health Law (Werber Serafini, 11/9)

The Washington Post reports on new GOP governors who are likely to "expand the number of states that employ a far more limited, free-market-oriented approach to implementing the nation's new health-care law than the robust regulatory model favored by its supporters." Many incoming Republican governors have denounced the law. "And Maine, one of the first states to set up a task force to implement the law, will now be led by Paul LePage, a tea-party favorite who vowed to work against the legislation and predicted that voters would soon see headlines about him telling President Obama to 'go to hell.' Such state leaders cannot completely block implementation of the law: If they are unwilling or deemed unready to run an exchange by 2014, the legislation empowers the federal government to step in with its own version. But the law does grant states a fair amount of discretion" (Aizenman, 11/9).

Politico, in a separate story, notes that Texas Gov. Rick Perry is also critical of the law, and also of a fellow Republican's ideas. "Perry insists that he's not running for president, but he didn't mind offering an unvarnished view Monday about the signature policy accomplishment of one Republican who almost certainly is in the race. 'The health care plan out of Massachusetts, I would suggest to you, is too much the like the health care plan passed out of Washington,' Perry said, succinctly voicing one of the chief difficulties former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney faces in the upcoming GOP primary" (Martin, 11/8).

The Hill, in a separate story: "A leading House Democrat said this week that the party's signature healthcare reform law was largely the reason the Democrats were trounced in the midterms. But, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) added, the law was worth the political costs because it 'was the right thing to do.'" Clyburn, who spoke on MSNBC, wants to be minority whip and is challenging House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for the title (Lillis, 11/8).