Washington » A group of Utah politicos have signed a pledge to help repeal any health reform bill that Democrats may get into law.
But the Democratic Party is lashing back, saying the Club for Growth campaign is nothing more than an attempt to protect insurance companies.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is the most prominent politician from the state to sign the one-sentence pledge that says the signer promises "to sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010 and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government."
Three conservative challengers to Sen. Bob Bennett have also jumped aboard the "Repeal It" campaign. They include lawyer Mike Lee, businessman Tim Bridgewater, and conservative activist Cherilyn Eagar.
The pledge and a list of its signers can be found at repealit.org.
Club for Growth spokesman Mike Connolly said the club is still trying to get the senator to sign on. That may not happen, but it wouldn't mean Bennett looks favorably on the Democratic health reform bills.
The Club for Growth has already stated its opposition to Bennett's re-election efforts, focusing its ire on the senator's own bipartisan health reform bill, which never came up for a vote. The conservative group that focuses on fiscal issues has not backed any other candidate.
Bennett voted against the Democratic reform proposal and has repeatedly criticized it in speeches on the Senate floor and elsewhere. His staff said he has already started working to repeal the bill if it becomes law and "he welcomes anyone to join him in that effort."
Republicans have criticized the bill because it expands government programs, creates new ones and is funded through tax increases. Democrats have promoted their bill as a financially responsible way to cover most of the uninsured, eliminate unseemly insurance practices and reduce long-term costs.
Lee explained his reasoning for supporting the club's campaign by saying: "As Republicans, we must lead the fight, not only to repeal a government takeover of our health care system, but also to drive a return to principled policy debates, centered in the Constitution."
Like many Republicans, Lee believes a requirement to buy insurance has no constitutional basis. He thinks states should take the lead in these efforts.
"Clearly, any health care reform must be market-based, not run by federal government bureaucrats, and any regulation the people desire should be taken up with their state legislatures," he said in a statement.
The Democratic National Committee sent out statements criticizing the politicians who signed on to the Club for Growth effort, including one focused at Chaffetz.
"Halting progress on this historic legislation would deny every American -- young or old, wealthy or poor, those with coverage or without -- access to critical benefits that would improve their quality and access to health care," said DNC spokesman Ricardo Ramirez. "The American people should make no mistake.
"Chaffetz's calls for repeal of health insurance reform would mean a return to the same discriminatory health insurance company practices that are breaking American families' savings accounts, forcing small businesses into bankruptcy and endangering the long-term health and stability of our economy," Ramirez said.
Chaffetz says the DNC has it "Oh, so wrong."
"I want reform but I reject the Democrats' plan for a government takeover of health care," he said.
