House to vote to delay health law mandates

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led House was set to again hold votes to curtail President Obama’s healthcare law, saying the administration’s decision to delay a key provision showed the plan was unworkable.

Two months after voting to repeal the president’s signature legislative achievement, the House considered a pair of bills Wednesday aimed at the law’s mandate that all Americans have health insurance.

The first would codify the administration’s move to postpone enforcement of penalties on large employers that don’t offer coverage; the second would extend that same delay to individuals. The two bills stand no chance of being approved by the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

“If the president believes that the employer mandate is too much for the employer community, how about basic fairness for American families and individuals?” House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said.

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Republicans have questioned the administration’s authority to take the “unilateral” step, announced July 2, to delay the employer mandate by a year so it does not take effect until 2015.

Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.), the author of one of the bills, said it would “make what the president did legal.” “I think this is one where Democrats and Republicans can come together, agree with the president that it’s a burden and postpone this,” he said.

A vote on a procedural motion was almost entirely along party lines.

It marked the 38th attempt by congressional Republicans to repeal part or all of the law, according to Democrats who keep a tally.

“I’ve lost count; I think they have, too,” jabbed White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.

Obama plans to tout the healthcare law Thursday, highlighting a provision the White House says saved consumers $3.9 billion in 2012. The 2010 law requires insurers to provide rebates to customers if the companies don’t spend at least 80% of the premiums on medical care.

“They go about the business again of trying to overturn a law that’s providing enormous benefits and, as we’ve seen again, will provide even more benefits to the American people, Carney said. “We’re going about the business of implementing the law that provides those benefits.”

For the record, 2:18 p.m. July 17: An earlier version of this post said that the House had voted to delay the key healthcare provision mandating all Americans have health insurance. The House had voted to rule on the bills, with a final vote still forthcoming.

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michael.memoli@latimes.com

Twitter: @mikememoli