With a Supreme Court decision on healthcare fast approaching, House Republicans are doubling down on efforts to bring attention to President Obama’s signature legislative issue.

The effort, which includes votes on several measures to repeal taxes under the law, is intended to highlight unpopular aspects of the landmark bill as the presidential campaign between Obama and Republican Mitt Romney heats up.

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The House next week will consider measures to repeal taxes imposed on medical devices and over-the-counter medication.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Eric Ivan CantorThe Hill's Campaign Report: Florida hangs in the balance Eric Cantor teams up with former rival Dave Brat in supporting GOP candidate in former district Bottom line MORE (R-Va.) announced the votes late last month, and called the tax on medical devices in particularly “draconian” in a memo sent to GOP lawmakers.

Democrats argue the GOP effort is nakedly political and timed for the Supreme Court decision, which is expected this month. On Friday, Romney criticized Obama’s handling of the economy, arguing the nation would be creating more jobs if Obama had not focused on healthcare in 2009 and 2010.

Rep. Rob Andrews (D-N.J.) – a key player in brokering deals within his party to pass the healthcare bill – called the upcoming debate a “waste of time” and said the House should be focus on legislation to create jobs.

“(The timing) is probably not coincidental, I think the Republicans are trying to poison the well before the Court decision,” Andrews said in an interview with The Hill.

House Republicans, who rode a wave of voter outrage into power in 2010 unfurled in part by the healthcare law, dismiss the Democratic arguments.

“Well, I'm glad they are giving us that much credit in planning but obviously the medical tax bill has had a lot of bipartisan support for many weeks,” Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) told The Hill.

Only two Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee, Reps. Ron Kind Ronald (Ron) James KindWisconsin Rep. Ron Kind wins primary Democrats exit briefing saying they fear elections under foreign threat Bottom line MORE (Wis.) and Shelly Berkley (Nev.) supported the medical device and over-the-counter drug bills at mark-up.

Debate at Thursday’s lengthy mark-up provided a flavor of what to expect when the measures hit the floor mid-week.

Republicans argued that the tax-repeal bills will create and save jobs in the medical device industry.

Veteran Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Jim McDermott James (Jim) Adelbert McDermottSondland has 'no intention of resigning,' associate says Three women accuse Gordon Sondland of sexual misconduct Portland hotel chain founded by Trump ambassador says boycott is attack on employees MORE (Wash.) scoffed at the GOP’s “job creation” argument, calling the idea “nonsense.”

“It is not going to save jobs because you don't know what the impact is in fact, the evidence is that it doesn't lose jobs,” the liberal lawmaker told his colleagues.



