Dems up for reelection under pressure to nix health care mandate

From Jason Millman and Alexander Bolton of The Hill on Jan. 5:

Democrats who are nervous about reelection are increasingly ready to consider scrapping the new healthcare law’s provision that forces people to buy health insurance or pay a fine.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), one of President Obama’s closest allies in the Senate, on Wednesday said she would consider scrapping the controversial mandate in favor of a “viable” alternative.

“There’s other ways we can get people into the pool — I hope — other than a mandate, and we need to look at that,” McCaskill said on MSNBC.

McCaskill is facing a tough reelection race in 2012. Three-quarters of Missouri voters opposed the individual mandate in a referendum during the August primary, so her support for the healthcare legislation could become a sticking point for her campaign.

Vulnerable Democratic incumbents are bracing for a bruising debate on healthcare after the House votes on a total repeal of the law next week.

The House repeal bill is expected to pass easily and might pick up some Democratic votes, shifting the political spotlight to centrists in the upper chamber.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) said over the weekend that if House Republicans pass repeal legislation by a large vote, “it will put enormous pressure on the Senate” to follow suit.

Even if a full repeal stalls in the upper chamber, House Republicans will send over piecemeal repeals of controversial provisions, including the mandate.

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