House plans to vote on de-funding obamacare

[Wingshooter]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/18/gop-goes-all-in-on-de-fund-obamacare-as-shutdown-looms/


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House Speaker John Boehner, in an abrupt turnaround, plans to let Tea Party lawmakers have a vote on de-funding ObamaCare as part of a politically risky strategy which Democrats warn could result in a government shutdown.

GOP leaders unveiled their plan to members on Wednesday morning, teeing up a vote for Friday -- the proposed bill would tie the vote to de-fund the health care law to a vote on a stopgap spending bill. Current funding for the government is set to expire at the end of the month, and lawmakers must approve the stopgap bill in order to keep Washington open; conservatives see this as leverage to force a suspension of ObamaCare.

"The law's a trainwreck," Boehner said of the Affordable Care Act. "It's time to protect American families from this unworkable law."

Effectively, Boehner and his deputies have backed off a compromise approach they earlier tried to sell to rank-and-file conservatives. Under that plan, the House would have sent two bills to the Senate -- one to de-fund ObamaCare, the other to fund the government. The Senate, then, would have been able to easily bypass the ObamaCare bill and send the spending measure straight to the White House, in turn averting a government shutdown.

But House conservatives revolted, and Boehner now plans to tie the two votes together. Under the plan, funding the government would be conditional on de-funding ObamaCare. It is a concession to House conservatives as well as senators like Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and outside groups like the Heritage Foundation that have demanded Congress use the must-pass budget bill as leverage to derail the health care law.

But it is also undoubtedly risky.

President Obama and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid have warned Republicans not to go down that road, suggesting that they will bear the brunt of the blame if the gambit results in a government shutdown.

Obama blasted Republicans during an interview Tuesday with Telemundo.

"We're hearing that a certain faction of Republicans, in the House of Representatives in particular are arguing for government shutdown or even a default for the United States of America ... if they don't get 100 percent of what they want," Obama said.

On Wednesday in Washington, Obama suggested that Republicans have gotten distracted from their original goal of cutting deficits. "We have not seen this in the past, that a budget is contingent on us eliminating a program that was voted on, passed by both chambers of Congress," Obama said.

The GOP measure would fund the government through Dec. 15, at current funding levels. Republicans also plan to push a measure dealing with the debt ceiling, with a mid-October deadline looming for when the government can no longer honor its obligations. GOP leaders say that measure will include an effort to delay the implementation of the health care law as well.

Democratic leaders have no intention, though, of supporting any effort to de-fund the health law, and the Senate would likely reject such a move and send the measure back.

Then it would be an open question as to whether the House could pass a straight budget bill. Boehner might be compelled to consider passing a budget with a coalition of mostly Democrats. Or, the House and Senate could get stuck in a bout of legislative ping-pong, each passing its own bill and bouncing it over to the other chamber.

But that could only last so long, since government funding runs out at midnight on Sept. 30. The bill would become a hot potato -- neither chamber would want to have it when the clock runs out.

"When it comes to a government shutdown, it may depend on who is holding the ball at the end," said Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Lowpower]

I say we shut down the government and not pay all the federal elected officials until then budget is back in balance. They should be the first to be sequestered seeing as how they're the ones who got us here. Let's see if they stay in DC long.

 

LOL

Edited September 18, 2013 by Lowpower

[bersaguy]

Well I'm sure this will draw flak but I am glad to see Boehner finally got some spine and has decided to let the freshmen Congressmen and women vote on the bills and it might get tough in Washington DC by the end of the month and maybe even a bit ugly so I guess we better brace for a really ugly fight huh?.....................jmho

[Guest Lester Weevils]

With a congress approval rate around 10 percent, a gov shut down might improve their rating in the polls. It would make some people happy and couldn't possible make many more people unhappy with congress. You can't get to a 9 out of 10 disapproval without most liberals already mad at em (along with most conservatives).

[mav]

With a congress approval rate around 10 percent, a gov shut down might improve their rating in the polls. It would make some people happy and couldn't possible make many more people unhappy with congress. You can't get to a 9 out of 10 disapproval without most liberals already mad at em (along with most conservatives).

 

You may be onto something Lester.  A government shutdown would indeed please both parties.  Partisan Democrats want a shutdown so they can blame Republicans for everything, whereas Tea Party folks want a shutdown in the hopes that Obamacare will be defunded.  Shut it down and everybody wins.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

We gave Congress, rather they gave it to themselves, too much power to control the process to remove their pay

and accountability, other than the ballot box.

 

Boehner finally realized the Tea Party wasn't going to let this thing go, and there are enough in DC to make a lot of noise.

Boehner doesn't care about this issue, but is being forced into it. Same for Eric Cantor, who supposedly had a hand in the

current attempt.

 

I'll take what I can get, and then try to run the RINO's out on the next stage coach. This show will morph into unicorns

and fairies, the next time you see Boehner and Cantor say anything. They're just being forced, at this point. I hope

to see more force applied.

[bersaguy]

Man I am watching Hannity right now the Democrats are screaming Fowl because the house has finally decided to let Teaparty Freshman Congress men and women vote on the budget and the Affordable Care Act. They are planning to vote for funding the Government and de-funding Obama care in one vote. This is going to get really ugly for sure because the House is going to be rocking and rolling..........All I can say is Obama should have read it before he signed it.............jmho

[JohnC]

Let hem shut down. I don't give a shit anymore. Maybe it will save us some money.

I'd rather have shutdown than Obamacare for sure!

[Wingshooter]

I would also rather have gov shutdown than be overrun by gov healthcare.

[bersaguy]

I would also rather have gov shutdown than be overrun by gov healthcare.

 

I think you may be in the same line of thinking as most of America. If shutting down our Government means killing the health care act I can deal with that also.

[JohnC]

Yeah and who really cares anymore when they threaten shutdowns?

They've been pulling that stunt over and over to make the public go along with their BS for years now.

Sick of all of them in Washington!

We need to have a revolt in mass soon. I'd love to see a few million folks flood D.C., chanting No-Bama-Care so loud the windows shake!

I think that's what it will take to actually make them do their damn job up there. Because as long as they're so far away from the people, feeling protected and comfortable up there in that palace, they'll never give two shits about us or what we think. :2cents:

[div]

I just don't get it. How many of you have read the "Obamacare" bill, and how many of you are knee-jerking based off of what Fox "News" and others tells you? Become self informed and stop depending on others to tell you how to think.

In my opinion, and I've read the entire bill myself, the healthcare act lowers cost of service and the federal deficit both over the next 6 years while upgrading the US to the same standard of care as the rest of the civilized world. The only other thing I could ask of it is to eliminate federal subsidizing of lazy people who can't bother to look beyond media hype and their own pocketbooks. But we all know that will never happen. Mostly because it's in the current government's best interest to support ignorance rather than intelligence and society seems happy to support that ideal.

[JohnC]

I just don't get it. How many of you have read the "Obamacare" bill, and how many of you are knee-jerking based off of what Fox "News" and others tells you? Become self informed and stop depending on others to tell you how to think.

In my opinion, and I've read the entire bill myself, the healthcare act lowers cost of service and the federal deficit both over the next 6 years while upgrading the US to the same standard of care as the rest of the civilized world. The only other thing I could ask of it is to eliminate federal subsidizing of lazy people who can't bother to look beyond media hype and their own pocketbooks. But we all know that will never happen. Mostly because it's in the current government's best interest to support ignorance rather than intelligence and society seems happy to support that ideal.

Well hello there! Would you be so kind, sir, as to enlighten us with all that wonderful knowledge you learned from the entire bill?

Meanwhile, in reality, employers are dropping healthcare they have given their employees for years (as this bill was designed to do so they can move to rescue the crisis with a single payer system), some folks job hours are being cut to 29 hours and employers are specifically citing Obamacare as the reason, etc.

But please do retort those Whitehouse talking points and utopian promises in that ACA.

[Guest ThePunisher]

Heck, none of the Congressmen much less Obama have even read the over two thousand page bill to know how screwed up this ACA bill is. He must have lots of time on his hands or bored with life to even attempt to read that monstrosity of a bill. He's been so busy reading the bill to not even know everyone is losing their jobs b/c of it, and that they are losing their employer insurance.

[Wingshooter]

I just don't get it. How many of you have read the "Obamacare" bill, and how many of you are knee-jerking based off of what Fox "News" and others tells you? Become self informed and stop depending on others to tell you how to think.In my opinion, and I've read the entire bill myself, the healthcare act lowers cost of service and the federal deficit both over the next 6 years while upgrading the US to the same standard of care as the rest of the civilized world. The only other thing I could ask of it is to eliminate federal subsidizing of lazy people who can't bother to look beyond media hype and their own pocketbooks. But we all know that will never happen. Mostly because it's in the current government's best interest to support ignorance rather than intelligence and society seems happy to support that ideal.

"Upgrade the US to the same standard of care as the rest of the world"... Is that why so many people from so many countries flock to the US to get the treatment they can't get in their own countries? I don't need to be like the rest of the world. I'm happy being an American!

[mav]

I just don't get it. How many of you have read the "Obamacare" bill, and how many of you are knee-jerking based off of what Fox "News" and others tells you? Become self informed and stop depending on others to tell you how to think.

In my opinion, and I've read the entire bill myself, the healthcare act lowers cost of service and the federal deficit both over the next 6 years while upgrading the US to the same standard of care as the rest of the civilized world. The only other thing I could ask of it is to eliminate federal subsidizing of lazy people who can't bother to look beyond media hype and their own pocketbooks. But we all know that will never happen. Mostly because it's in the current government's best interest to support ignorance rather than intelligence and society seems happy to support that ideal.

 

Wow.  I would have never thought that Kathleen Sebelius would be a member of TGO.

[Guest ThePunisher]

Wow.  I would have never thought that Kathleen Sebelius would be a member of TGO.

I bet she still doesn't even know what's in the bill. Nancy Pelosi said that they had to pass the bill to know what's in the bill, and now little by little we are finding out its the biggest boondoggle in the history of Congressional legislation. We keep getting weekly surprises of how much s### is gonna hit the fan when this bill is fully implemented. I predict that lots of Congressmen are gonna face the wrath of their constituents when people lose their insurance or see the increased costs for less quality healthcare. Yep, voting has consequences.

[gregintenn]

I read the damned thing. To tell the truth, I didn't understand a lot of it, and sure didn't see anything I could construe as positive in it.

 

It's been a while, and I didn't memorize it, nor do I care to read it again, so I am not equipped to argue specifics with you.

[Wingshooter]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/20/house-to-vote-on-plan-to-defund-obamacare-as-shutdown-fight-looms/


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The House voted Friday to keep the government open through mid-December but only if Congress strips funding from ObamaCare.

The vote was 230 to 189, and largely expected.

The Senate, which is in recess until Tuesday, is expected to take up the vote next week. However, it is unlikely it will pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

The House measure would replace ObamaCare with a plan that expands tax breaks for Americans who buy their own insurance, setting the stage for a showdown with Senate Democrats that could push the government toward a partial shutdown at the end of the month.

More than 140 congressional Republicans signed on to the bill to keep the government running at existing funding levels and delay the health care law. Democrats have vowed to oppose that bill, warning the strategy risks a government shutdown, with funding set to expire by Oct. 1.

Under the proposal, Americans who purchase coverage through state-run exchanges can claim a $7,500 deduction against their income and payroll taxes, regardless of the cost of the insurance. Families could deduct $20,000. The plan also increases government funding for high-risk pools.

One day after conceding that the Democratic-controlled Senate probably would prevail in stripping the health law provision, Sen. Ted Cruz still vowed to do "everything and anything possible to defund ObamaCare." That includes a possible filibuster of legislation to prevent a partial government shutdown, the Texas Republican said.

Cruz, one of the most vocal supporters of the “de-fund ObamaCare” push, startled his House colleagues when he released a written statement Wednesday afternoon that appeared to acknowledge the bill will probably fail in the Senate.

“Harry Reid will no doubt try to strip the defund language from the continuing resolution, and right now he likely has the votes to do so. At that point, House Republicans must stand firm, hold their ground, and continue to listen to the American people,” he said.

House Republican aides said rank-and-file lawmakers on the House floor at the time vented their anger at what appeared to be a pre-emptive surrender.

Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., tweeted that Lee and Cruz "refuse to fight. Wave white flag and surrender."

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., tweeted, "Senate R's already declare defeat... before the battle even begins. So much for standing up for the American people."

Internal divisions have plagued Republicans this year as they struggle to produce alternatives to the Obama plan. Legislation backed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., to increase funding for high-risk pools was pulled without a vote after some conservatives objected to improving ObamaCare at a time when they want to repeal it.

Obama and Democrats frequently criticize Republicans for focusing so much attention on repeal efforts without coming up with an alternative.

A senior GOP leadership aide said Wednesday they don't expect this dissension to blow up the bill in the House on Friday. But they are concerned about where things are going now if the GOP senators don't defend their turf.

The legislation includes a number of proposals that Republicans long have backed to expand access and hold down the cost of health care, including features that permit companies to sell policies across state lines and that let small businesses join together to seek better rates from insurers.

In addition, awards for pain and suffering, emotional distress and similar noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases would be capped at $250,000, unless a state had a higher cap.

No overall cost estimates for the bill were available.

Current funding for the government is set to expire at the end of the month, and lawmakers must approve the stopgap bill in order to keep Washington open.

The GOP measure would fund the government through Dec. 15, at current funding levels. Republicans also plan to push a measure dealing with the debt ceiling, with a mid-October deadline looming for when the government can no longer honor its obligations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Guest ThePunisher]

With enough heat from constituents, republican congressmen listen. Evidence that people have to be active and concerned citizens of their Constitutional Republic style of government.

[Jonnin]

Wow, what leadership.   The one thing that is not costing a cent (yet) is defunded in a bill that is 100% assured to fail while we continue to give our money away to our enemies, give our money away to our allies, give money away to people that refuse to work,  continue to fund "research" into "global warming green energy  climate change" junk science, continue to fund pointless wars, ..............................

[Wingshooter]

The Senate, which is in recess until Tuesday, is expected to take up the vote next week. However, it is unlikely it will pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

The House measure would replace ObamaCare with a plan that expands tax breaks for Americans who buy their own insurance, setting the stage for a showdown with Senate Democrats that could push the government toward a partial shutdown at the end of the month.

I other words... BURN UP THE PHONE LINES to Alexander and Corker. Unlikely or not, it's time to de-fund this drain on America

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I just don't get it. How many of you have read the "Obamacare" bill, and how many of you are knee-jerking based off of what Fox "News" and others tells you? Become self informed and stop depending on others to tell you how to think.

In my opinion, and I've read the entire bill myself, the healthcare act lowers cost of service and the federal deficit both over the next 6 years while upgrading the US to the same standard of care as the rest of the civilized world. The only other thing I could ask of it is to eliminate federal subsidizing of lazy people who can't bother to look beyond media hype and their own pocketbooks. But we all know that will never happen. Mostly because it's in the current government's best interest to support ignorance rather than intelligence and society seems happy to support that ideal.

If you have read the entire bill(law), then you know about all the extra services that are given to individuals and families

who have never participated in any kind of healthcare cost, only benefits. Then you also know about the mandate coming

from the panel in DC, or wherever they will end up, that will decide your fate. That isn't from Fox News, friend. That has

been front and center for a long time.

 

Also, if you read the entire bill, you might have noticed how it is being frontloaded in collections, when it still can't be launched

because it is running out of money. Explain to me why so many companies are opting to pay a fine, rather than covering the cost

of insurance to their employees, which is a shrinking pool, and the welfare state is increasing.

 

Explain to me why Nancy Pelosi didn't even know the content of the bill, along with every other one of her cohorts who voted for it.

 

If you read the bill, you might try reading it again. I know with things that large, I find I have to, on occasion.

 

And, if this is some kind of smack on Fox, which I think it is, you might try backing up a statement like you did with some substance,

not innuendo.

[mav]

I can't believe it.  The House actually passed it.  I have been very critical of Republicans the last couple of years, and rightly so, but they deserve my thanks on this one.  Even though nothing may come of it, it was still a good vote.

[mikegideon]

I can't believe it.  The House actually passed it.  I have been very critical of Republicans the last couple of years, and rightly so, but they deserve my thanks on this one.  Even though nothing may come of it, it was still a good vote.

 

Probably no immediate gratification. As the Obamacare thing continues to fester, and it will, it will have some significance. The law is crap, and I think a majority will eventually realize that. When they do, it's gonna paint a big target on the senate majority.