First Democrat Joins House GOP Effort to Repeal Health Care Law

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Mississippi Rep. Gene Taylor has become the first Democratic co-sponsor of a Republican effort to repeal the health care law, joining 172 GOPers to call for a vote to end the legislation.

Taylor, an 11-term lawmaker known as a Blue Dog for his fiscal moderation, issued a statement Thursday saying that he is joining the "discharge petition" proposed by Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law on March 23.

"I didn't vote for it, people don't want it, and the taxpayers cannot afford it," Taylor said in a statement issued on his website.

If 218 lawmakers sign a discharge petition, it forces a bill to be brought to the House floor for a vote, although the majority leadership has maneuvers to avoid a vote.

No House Republicans supported the bill and 31 Democrats opposed it at the time of the vote. Several Democrats are campaigning for re-election on their disapproval of the bill.

However, even if the legislation gets 218 people to sign on, and it is approved in the House, and a like-minded bill passed the Senate, it's not likely President Obama would sign-off on abolishing his hallmark legislation.

But opponents of the law say it's important to get on the record in support of a repeal.

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