For Republicans, undoing the health law could be complicated

GOP leaders face various challenges in their strategy to repeal the health law.

Politico Pro: Orszag: Reconciliation Not Just About The ACA
The Affordable Care Act might not be the only big health program that the Republicans would try to transform through the budget reconciliation process if they win control of the Senate. Turning Medicaid into a block grant program and Medicare into premium support could also be part of it, former White House Budget Chief Peter Orszag said Friday (Cheney, 7/2).

The Hill: Republicans Find Killing Health Care Law Not As Easy As It Sounds
Republicans say they could repeal President Obama's healthcare law if the GOP wins the White House and majorities in the House and Senate next year. But that is hardly a slam-dunk proposition. In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the law, Republicans have renewed their focus on repealing it. The high court's stunning decision was a loss for conservatives, but GOP leaders contend it will help energize Republican voters in November. Some Republicans say the November elections could be their last chance to block the law. Even if Republicans win big on Election Day, though, repealing the Affordable Care Act will be a tall order (Baker, 7/3).

The Fiscal Times:  GOP Eyes Arcane Budget Rule To Help Crush Obamacare
For years, Republicans and Democrats have used an arcane budget rule known as reconciliation as a bulldozer of sorts to blast through threats of a filibuster and achieve major budget and tax measures. Reconciliation has been used more than 20 times to pass measures ranging from a sweeping welfare reform and children's health insurance program to massive tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.  The Democrats used reconciliation again in March 2010, to amend the Affordable Care Act three days after the landmark legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. But until now, the rule was never envisioned as a legislative jackhammer to literally wipe out a major piece of legislation before it fully took effect (Pianin, 7/3).

The Associated Press: Minority Leader: Odds Long To Undo Health Care Law
It's on his to-do list, but U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says the odds are against repealing the health care law championed by President Barack Obama. The Kentucky Republican said Monday it's hard to unravel something of the magnitude of the 2,700-page health care law, WHAS-TV reports (7/2).