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Heritage
Network
A
Real Vote to Defund Obamacare
Amy
Payne
September
13, 2013
One
of the disillusioning facts about Washington is that Congress can
vote on something and that vote won’t mean a thing.
It
would seem that a congressional vote should be a meaningful occasion,
with Members weighing the costs and benefits of voting for the
particular measure at hand. Unfortunately, political gamesmanship
often leads them to create voting opportunities that have no real
impact, but will allow them to tell constituents, “I voted for
this” or “I voted against that.”
The
House of Representatives was heading in that direction—considering
a proposal that purported to defund Obamacare but wouldn’t actually
achieve that goal. This is what voters have come to expect from
Capitol Hill and why Congress has such low standing with the American
people.
Heritage
President Jim DeMint called for an end to these “pretend votes”
and “gimmicks.”
We
don’t need empty show votes to pull the wool over the American
people’s eyes; we need our elected representatives to fight for the
American people.
Thankfully,
there are other alternatives to defund Obamacare and fund the
government, including a proposal introduced yesterday by
Representative Tom Graves (R-GA) and 42 of his colleagues. This
approach will force lawmakers to have a real debate and make the
tough choices when they vote—so that their votes will mean
something.
Time
is of the essence to defund Obamacare. We’re just 17 days out from
Obamacare’s insurance exchanges opening and the overhaul of our
health care system taking root.
If
you needed proof that Obamacare isn’t working, look no further than
President Obama himself. As The Washington Times reported this week:
President
Obama has already signed 14 laws that amend, rescind or otherwise
change parts of his health care law, and he’s taken five
independent steps to delay the Affordable Care Act on his own.
Public
support for Obamacare has dropped below 40 percent. It’s unfair,
unworkable, and unaffordable. You could lose your current health
coverage, see your hours cut at work, and end up with bureaucrats
coming between you and your doctor.
Congress
should take its responsibility seriously and defund Obamacare now.
Read this and other
articles at Heritage Network
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