Republicans still looking for ways to de-fund health care law

Republicans vowed during the 2010 campaign to block funding for the health care law, formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But blocking funding has become complicated as Republicans and Democrats negotiate to finish funding the government for the current fiscal year.

So far, Congress has been passing short-term funding measures, called continuing resolutions or CRs, while negotiations continue over a final budget for fiscal year 2011, which actually started in October 2010.

The short-term measures mean Congress hasn"t addressed many major funding issues, and that"s making some Republicans impatient.

Reps. Steve King, R-Iowa, and Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., recently wrote an open letter to the Republican leadership asking the party leaders to redouble their efforts to block funds for the health care law. King and Bachmann said that the "must pass” legislation for this year should include a repeal of funding that was included in the 2010 law, not just stopping the ongoing funding to implement the law.

Bachmann has repeatedly criticized the health care law for having $105 billion in spending included in it, a claim we"ve previously fact-checked.

The budget negotiations in Congress have served to delay a showdown between Democrats and Republicans over funding for the health care law. But there's been progress on this promise. Because Republicans are actively working to stop funding, we"re rating this promise In the Works.