( CNN ) -- Three years ago , obsession took hold of Republicans in Congress . In the third week of January 2011 , John Boehner 's newly-elected House held its first-ever vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act and go back to letting insurance companies do whatever they want . Fast forward to today -- nearly 50 votes to repeal or undermine the law later -- and it 's clear to the American people that Republicans in Congress are n't on their side . Pick an issue : Jobs . The economy . Education . Infrastructure . Minimum wage . Unemployment insurance . Immigration reform . The list of failures , neglected issues and missed opportunities goes on and on -- and shows without question that Republicans are on the side of special interests and the Tea Party , not the American people . No wonder poll after poll still shows House Republicans standing at record lows . Americans do n't need a pen and a phone , we need a job and a paycheck . Boehner 's misguided agenda and one-note tenure have ignored what the American people want . In fact , independent , mainstream polls show that most Americans want to improve and fix the law , not repeal it . Americans know what repeal would cost them : giving the power back to insurance companies to discriminate , deny care , drop coverage , raise rates and drive hardworking Americans into bankruptcy . On the Affordable Care Act and so many other issues that matter to the middle class , the message House Republicans have sent is clear : They are not on the side of hardworking American middle class families , and instead will do everything in their power to protect those who need help the least : the Washington special interests . Obama , the pain and fear must be named . While House Republicans have obsessively voted to turn our health care system back over to insurance companies , that is far from the only damage they have inflicted on the people of this country . Their disastrous government shutdown -- which they launched to oppose the Affordable Care Act -- cost our economy $ 24 billion . They wo n't extend unemployment insurance for struggling Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own and who are looking for work -- all while they make sure that Big Oil gets its $ 40 billion in subsidies . They refuse to raise the minimum wage , while seeking maximum tax cuts for the rich . They have yet to pass anything that remotely resembles a jobs bill . Those wrong priorities will come back to haunt them in November . A few Republicans are making the first motions to run away from this unpopular approach and to deny their repeal-only agenda . They 're hoping that voters will think that they 've woken up and found some common sense -- but voters wo n't forget nearly 50 votes , and they wo n't forgive them for turning their backs on hardworking people . This year 's State of the Union is a defining test for Obama . Republicans ' flawed priorities are hurting real families in this country . With every repeal vote , John Boehner might get a kick out of conservative news headlines and the talk radio echo chamber , but what regular Americans see is a politician who cares more about wealthy insurance company contributors than helping their families . Voters will have a choice this fall between Republicans ' wrong priorities , and problem-solving Democrats who have dedicated their lives to helping middle class families get ahead . I believe that choice will be clear . Obama 's message : A dysfunctional Congress , but we 'll get it done anyway . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rep. Steve Israel .
Rep. Steve Israel rattles off a list of GOP failures , neglected issues and missed opportunities . Israel : " The Republicans have been in power for two years now but they are still not doing anything to help the middle class or working families. Israel : Their wrong priorities will come back to haunt them in November .