Weiner Spoiling For A Fight On Health Care

D-Forest Hills, started off the new year spoiling for a fight with congressional Republicans, practically daring the caucus to make good on its promise to attempt to dismantle the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Weiner, who made health care reform one of the biggest issues of his time in the 111th Congress, has long been a proponent of the adoption of a single-payer health care system in the United States.

Reacting to news that Republicans plan to introduce a bill this week to repeal elements of the health care reform package, Weiner said in a statement that he and his fellow Democrats in the House of Representatives would welcome another fight on health care reform.

"Republicans want another debate about health care reform? Well, so should Democrats. They beat us in round one with lies and scare tactics — we welcome a second shot," Weiner said. "By planning to introduce a bill to repeal health care reform the first week of the 112th Congress, Republicans have made it very clear what direction they intend to take the country — backwards."

Health care reform became an issue during Weiner's own reelection campaign in the fall thanks to his first contested election since 2004. Weiner's opponent, businessman was adamant that the 112th Congress should work to repeal the health care reform package.

"I don't think there will be enough strength to put a veto-proof repeal on the table, but the Congress — that has the power to fund and defund — can have a very effective counterweight to the early stages," Turner said earlier this year. He also called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a "bad idea, top to bottom."

Weiner disagreed strongly at the time, and his thought process hasn't changed since

"Republicans are against a lot of things, but they are for kicking young Americans off their parents' insurance plans, for reinstating copayments for preventive measures like cancer screenings, and for denying children coverage based on preexisting conditions," Weiner said. "This is a dangerously misguided interpretation of what Americans voted for in November."