Boehner Dismisses CBO Numbers, Continues Pursuit To Repeal Health Reform

On his first full day as Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R-Ohio) dismissed newly released figures from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office that revealed the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a top priority for the new GOP majority, would increase the nation’s deficit by $230 billion.

“I do not believe that repealing the job-killing healthcare law will increase the deficit,” the Speaker said. “The CBO is entitled to their opinion.”

Boehner, along with Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), told reporters that the new Republican majority will continue its pursuit for the full repeal of President Obama’s healthcare reform law.

“We made a commitment to the American people, we’re listening to the American people, they want this bill repealed and we’re going to repeal it,” Boehner said. “It will ruin the best healthcare system in the world, it’ll bankrupt our nation and it will ruin our economy.”

The GOP leadership duo said that the resolution aimed at fulfilling the repeal will be brought to the House floor for a vote next week, despite criticism that the move does not fulfill the Speaker’s promise for a more transparent Congress. 

“Listen, I promised a more open process,” Boehner said. “I didn’t promise that every single bill was going to be an open bill.”