Obama open to compromise, not repeal, of health care law

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama ridiculed lingering opposition to his 10-month-old health care law Friday and vowed to oppose efforts to repeal it, underscoring his commitment to his signature legislative achievement despite the new reality of a divided Congress.

Days after delivering a State of the Union message in which he called on Democrats and Republicans to work together, Obama made clear in a speech to supporters that he's open to compromise on the issue only on the margins - a "tweak" here or there, but not major changes.

"I am not willing to just refight the battles of the last two years," said the president, who saw his popularity plummet and some in his own party distance themselves amid the scalding, partisan debates over the health care law. "I'm not open to efforts that will take this law apart without considering the lives and the livelihoods that hang in the balance."

The House of Representatives, with Republicans newly in control, voted to repeal the health care law last week. Republicans have vowed to seek a similar vote in the Senate, but are unlikely to prevail as Democrats still control that chamber.

Yet, the president is not ignoring the congressional challenge. He stood up for the bill in his State of the Union earlier this week and reiterated his support with a mocking rebuttal to the GOP on Friday in a speech to the consumer group Families USA, which advocated for the health law.