Gingrich Urges a Repeal and Replacement of the Current Health Care Reform Bill

“There is no way to improve Obamacare, despite promises from Democrats,” Newt Gingrich recently wrote in a HumanEvents.com letter. “The law is too big, too complicated and too destructive.”

Referring to any attempt to improve the bill as “putting lipstick on a pig,” Gingrich shed light on the $2.5 trillion bill that was passed in March 2010.

In the letter, Gingrich expressed his desire to repeal the current health care reform bill and replace it with “common-sense health reforms that improve health and healthcare delivery, increase access through lowering costs, protect life-saving medical innovations, dramatically reduce healthcare fraud and make effective use of health information technology.”

Gingrich revealed the top five surprises in the 2,300 pages of the health care reform bill that has him and, according to a Rasmussen poll, 56 percent of Americans supporting the repeal of the bill. The figures include 46 percent who strongly support the repeal.

The number one surprise Gingrich lists is that, beginning in January 2012, businesses are required to file with the IRS for every business to business transaction over $600, including all transactions, and not just health based ones (Section 9006).

In addition to the hidden components of the law, Gingrich notes that despite the promises from President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats that the bill would not increase the deficit, “the most recent CBO study confirms that the projected deficit has increased by $71 billion due to newly enacted legislation (namely healthcare reform).”

His solution? He is encouraging Americans to ask their members of congress to sign the discharge petition for H.R. 4972, a bill drafted by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), which he calls “a beautifully crafted 40-word solution.”

H.R. 4972 reads, “Effective as of the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, such Act is repealed, and the provisions of law amended or repealed by such Act are restored or revived as if such Act had not been enacted.”

Expectedly, House Democrats tied up legislation in committee to avoid voting on H.R. 4972 before the fall elections, according to Gingrich, but King has created a discharge petition to force a vote on his bill.

The discharge petition already has 170 signatures, as of August 10, from various House Members and needs only 48 more to force a vote on the House floor.

“Efforts to repeal the deeply unpopular Obamacare bill continue to gather momentum,” says King. “We now have 170 members of the House of Representatives on record calling for full repeal of Obamacare, including Republican Leader Boehner, Republican Whip Cantor and GOP Conference Chairman Pence.”

Gingrich urges Americans to call, write, fax, or e-mail their member of Congress asking them to sign the petition if they have yet to do so. Click here to see a complete list of signatures.