Don’t Be Fooled: Tomorrow’s Obamacare Vote in the House Is Important

Tomorrow’s scheduled vote on Obamacare repeal in the House is being treated as a very ho-hum event, even by some conservatives who should know better.

An ABC News headline reads:

House Gears Up to Repeal Obamacare (Again)

CBS News is likewise dismissive:

The vote, which was announced by House Republican leaders immediately following the U.S. Supreme Court's health care ruling, will be the 31st time the Republican House will have voted to repeal or defund all, or part, of the Affordable Care Act.

But the move, like most of the votes before, will lead to nothing. The Democratic Senate won't consider it. And even if a sprinkle of magic fairy dust fell over the Capitol dome, and the House and Senate somehow agreed to repeal the law, Mr. Obama has the ultimate say with his veto pen.

As for conservatives, it is surprising that a number of them are ready to dismiss tomorrow’s vote as nothing more than a “pre-election stunt.”

Alana Goodman of Commentary explains why they should know better, even though, barring a miracle this vote in and of itself isn't going to lead to repeal. Goodman writes:

Many voters are just starting to tune in to the general election, and it’s worth getting the latest positions of House lawmakers on the record. For Democrats running in conservative districts, this could be the last shot to oppose the unpopular health care law before the election. For Republicans, it’s a chance to show they’re on the side of the majority of Americans who oppose ObamaCare.

Goodman takes note of a video released by Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s office that seeks to portray Republicans as so caught up on the Obamacare issue that they aren’t able to focus on the economy. It is entitled “Where are the jobs?”

Goodman comments:

To refresh Pelosi’s memory, it wasn’t the Republicans who jammed through Obama’s health care law instead of focusing on job creation. Now that ObamaCare’s been spared by the Supreme Court, Democrats would prefer to ignore the unpopular law until after November. House votes like the one tomorrow won’t let them.  

So, no, nobody is going to sprinkle fairy dust tomorrow. But this vote matters. It is another way to remind the public that, despite Chief Justice John Roberts’ decision, the move to repeal is still alive and well—and, after tomorrow, voters will be able to tell which swing state Democrats are still willing to stand with the White House on this monstrously unpopular law.