Cowardly House Republicans refuse to defund ObamaCare

Cowardly House Republicans Refuse To Defund ObamaCare

July 30, 2012 By Doug Book 7 Comments

 

Determined as always to travel the safest, least contentious path to their own re-election, House Speaker John Boehner, Majority leader Eric Cantor and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy have decided that the Party will do NOTHING to defund ObamaCare when current, federal funding legislation expires on September 30th.
Thirty times over the past two years the House has voted to repeal the President’s “Affordable” Care Act. Of course, on each occasion Republican leaders were secure in the knowledge that the measure had NO chance of passing the Democrat controlled Senate or collecting the signature of Barack Obama. And this was of supreme importance to these stout-hearted, GOP Representatives as it meant none of the scheduled votes would raise the ire of the Party’s most feared and potent foe—the dreaded national media.
For were the landmark legislation of their Marxist icon to REALLY be threatened by some Republican scheme, the New York Times and its left-wing colleagues might spend the rest of these pre-election months trying to discredit Republican candidates with all manner of vile half-truths and dishonest reporting, something the media would NEVER do without good cause!
Yet weak knees on the part of Republican leadership should come as no surprise to interested conservatives as we were warned by Iowa Congressman Peter King last year that “…the decision was made by leadership to avoid the prospect of a showdown with the president or Harry Reid that could result in a potential shutdown of government.” (1)
And it was in February that John Boehner nearly suffered whiplash, ducking a reporter’s question about the congressman’s ObamaCare funding intentions in an upcoming budget resolution. Boehner’s non-answer answer: “We are opposed to Obamacare. We have voted to repeal it. That also included $700 million in tax hikes, about $2.6 trillion in new spending. We’re going to continue to take all the actions that we can to make sure that we do not ruin the best health care delivery system in the world, bankrupt our nation and, most importantly, get in the way of job creation in America.”
But apparently the Speaker and his colleagues are NOT so opposed to ObamaCare or worried about job creation that they are willing to rescind the $80 billion or so earmarked for the “healthcare” law by the last congress, or the $115 billion already authorized for “additional appropriation.” (2)
One hundred and twenty seven House Republicans signed a letter addressed to Boehner and Cantor by Michelle Bachman and Jim Jordan. In it they wrote, “…we urge you not to bring to the House floor in the 112th Congress any legislation that provides or allows funds to implement ObamaCare…” “We also urge you to take legislative steps necessary to immediately rescind all ObamaCare implementation funds.” (3)
House leadership has the authority to legislatively package ObamaCare funding in any manner it wishes. Were they to place it with truly necessary “must pass” funding legislation, it would force Senate Democrats to make a very dodgy political decision before the election. As Congressman King puts it, Democrats would have… to “…defend Obamacare as more important than all of the rest of the functions of government combined.” (1)
But once again, John Boehner and the other shining pillars of Republican resolve are intent upon snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. For although the American public is solidly in favor of Republicans defunding ObamaCare, political caution MUST take precedence over the Constitution or a congressional oath of office!
Should Obama win in November, expect Speaker Boehner to be provided round-the-clock, Secret Service protection. Barack couldn’t afford anything happening to one of his most valued supporters.
Follow Coach at twitter.com @KcoachcCoach