The Hill News

House Republicans are voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act to appeal to the conservative base, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said Tuesday.

"I think the Republicans are doing this to make a point to their base," Cardin said in an interview with WYPR 88.1 today.

Cardin, speaking the same day House Republicans opened floor debate on repealing the Obama Administration's healthcare law, echoed Democratic arguments that the law should not be repealed. Instead, he said, Republicans should work with Democrats to improve the bill.

"I think Democrats would work with Republicans and welcome Republicans to try to improve this law," Cardin said. We need the Republicans working with us."

Cardin said that the current healthcare reform law isn't perfect, which is why Republicans should work with Democrats to try and improve the law.

On subjects like the healthcare bill and President Obama's decision in late 2010 to extend all the Bu! sh tax cuts, Cardin said he was not perfectly satisfied but he was happier than the alternative.

Cardin said that the healthcare reform bill is more moderate because President Obama was expecting to have a little bipartisan support. Republicans stood in near lockstep opposition to the bill before it passed.

"Part of it was a little bit of naivete that President Obama would be able to get a little more Republican support," Cardin said recalling when the Obama Administration was trying to pass the bill. "The basic concept that was embraced that President Obama is one of moderate insurance."

Similarly on the Bush tax cuts, Cardin said it was better than letting all of them expire. He said that the Republicans would have let all the cuts expire if President Obama hadn't decided to extend the cuts for the rich.

"In my opinion? Yes," Cardin said. "I think they would have, they knew they had the majority in the House. They knew they w! ould have the majority in January."

Cardin's commen! ts come the same day that House Republicans opened floor debate on repealing the healthcare legislation. The bill is expected to pass the House but not the Senate.