Capitol Hill (Creative Commons)

"Repealing the job-crushing health care law is critical to boosting small business job creation and growing the economy," wrote House Speaker John Boehner Monday.

Top Democrats, however, are warning that a repeal could be disastrous for small businesses and millions of Americans who may not be able to get health insurance otherwise.

CNN reported: "The Department of Health and Human Services released an analysis warning that almost 130 million non-elderly Americans with pre-existing conditions would be at risk of losing their insurance without the guarantees provided by the legislation."

"The new law is already helping to free Americans from the fear that an insurer will drop, limit or cap their coverage when they need it most," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. "Americans living with pre-existing conditions are being freed from discrimination in order to get the health coverage they need."

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, repealing the health care bill could add $230 billion to the federal budget debt over the next ten years.

Politco reports the vote is expected to pass the House.  However, the vote is viewed as largely symbolic. Even if the bill passes Congress--something unlikely to happen given the Democrats still control the Senate--the White House has said President Obama will veto it.

Still, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to take up the issue in the Senate.

“If Harry Reid is so confident that the repeal vote should die in the Senate then he should bring it up for a vote if he’s so confident he’s got the votes,” Cantor said.

Reid's office responded: “Not only would repeal not pass, but according to a poll by AP over the weekend, three out of four people don’t want it to,” Reid spokesman Jon Summers said. “Why? Because full repeal means raising taxes on small businesses, reopening the Medicare donut hole, and putting insurance companies back in charge of your health care.”

At least one influential former Republican Senator is urging Republicans to halt their efforts to repeal the health care reform bill. Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said it was important to consider the bill "the law of the land" and build on it.

"It is not the bill that [Republicans] would have written," said Frist. "It is not the bill that I would have drafted. But it is the law of the land and it is the platform, the fundamental platform, upon which all future efforts to make that system better, for that patient, for that family, will be based. And that is a fact. I know the discussion of Washington is repeal and I'm sure we will come back to that discussion..."

Frist later added that the bill had many strong elements, and that those elements needed to be preserved.