Insanity. That’s how Senator Harry Reid is characterizing yet another attempt by House Republicans to repeal President Barack Obama’s healthcare initiative.

In remarks on the senate floor yesterday, Reid used Albert Einstein’s definition of insane as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Reid says not only is it not going to go anywhere. All these tries to knock down the law are costing taxpayers big money — around $52.4 million in Reid’s estimation. 

But Daniel Scarpinato disagrees. He is press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “With all due respect to Harry Reid, Obamacare is what is creating costs on taxpayers, and we’re trying to stop that,” Scarpinato says.

Kathryn Pearson teaches political science at the University of Minnesota. She says these repeal attempts are purely symbolic. And yes, they do cost money.

“That said there are a lot of things that both the House and the Senate do that cost money that aren’t intended to produce results,” Pearson Says.

Call it the cost of doing business on Capital Hill.