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President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is coming under renewed attack as some of the leading US conservatives gather in New Hampshire for a summit that some consider the unofficial kickoff for the 2016 presidential campaign in a key state in the selection process.
Several potential Republican White House contenders among them Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee headline a conference today in Manchester, New Hampshire, hosted by the conservative groups Citizens United and Americans for Prosperity.
Scheduled speakers also include real estate mogul Donald Trump, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Utah Sen. Mike Lee and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte. The gathering highlights the role of Koch Industries, the giant conglomerate headed by the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.
The Koch-affiliated Americans for Prosperity have already spent millions of dollars on health care-related attack ads aimed at Democratic senators in New Hampshire, North Carolina, Alaska, Colorado, Iowa and elsewhere. That's made the Koch brothers a prime target for Democratic criticism.
As potential presidential candidates jockey for position, the stakes are high for the November elections in which control of Congress is at stake. Republicans are fighting to win the six seats they need to claim the Senate majority. If successful, they could block Obama's legislative priorities in the final two years of his presidency.
The summit comes as prospective presidential candidates begin to step up appearances in key states ahead of the 2016 presidential contest, even though New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary isn't planned for another two years.
"It's the unofficial kickoff of the 2016 process," said Republican operative Mike Biundo, who managed former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's 2012 presidential campaign.
The early speakers bashed the Democratic-backed health care overhaul, a central issue in the Republicans' 2014 election strategy despite reports of strong enrollment figures. Some noted this week's resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who presided over the law's implementation.
Ayotte asked, "What took so long?"
"I have heard from the people of New Hampshire, and the people of New Hampshire want us to work to repeal this law and replace it with common-sense reforms," she said.
