House debates blocking money for health-care law

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans aimed their budget-cutting at President Barack Obama's health-care law today as the House plowed through a final stack of amendments to a huge spending bill that would impose sweeping cuts on domestic programs.

Following through on the GOP's goal of dismantling last year's health-care overhaul, Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., proposed blocking funds to implement the measure, arguing that it was a budget-busting overreach by government.

Democrats fought back, saying the law has been a boon to families and will create health-care jobs and reduce the federal deficit.

The overall bill is the first step in an increasingly bitter struggle between Democrats and Republicans over how much to cut federal agencies' funding over the second half of the budget year that ends Sept. 30. Current funding runs out March 4 and a temporary spending bill will be needed to avoid a government shutdown.

As today's debate began, the focus was on the health-care overhaul, which dominated Congress' work in 2009 and early 2010.