Rep. Tom Graves Spending Bill Defunds Obamacare And Irks Democrats

ABC News ^ | Sep 12, 2013 | John Parkinson

[mdittmar]

Hoping to avert a possible government shutdown at the end of the month, Rep. Tom Graves introduced a bill Thursday that he and dozens of his conservative colleagues believe could solve a looming fiscal fight facing Congress.

But his proposal, which defunds the president’s health care law, is likely to draw intense opposition from Democrats should it come up for consideration.

With current government funding set to run out Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, Graves’ legislation would fund the government just below post-sequester levels for the next 12 months while delaying and defunding the Affordable Care Act,  also known as Obamacare, completely until 2015.

“After weeks of working with and listening to members on how to approach the government funding deadline, it’s clear that House Republicans are united around two goals: keeping the government open and protecting our constituents from the harmful effects of Obamacare,” Graves, R-Ga., wrote in a statement. “Today, my 42 cosponsors and I are putting forward a plan that achieves both goals.”

[jimfree]

Works for me.

[bmwcyle]

Too bad

[grania]

No budget is acceptable unless it defunds Obamacare. If the dems won’t pass a budget without Obamacare, we’re headed to financial ruin anyway. Might as well shut down and sort it out.

[P-Marlowe]

Works for me.

No, delaying it will just ensure that it will ultimately be implemented. We need to kill this monster now.

We need to treat this battle as a war. We have the enemy on the ropes and if we delay this, then the enemy can regroup. Make the defunding a part of any Continuing resolution and force Obama to shut down the government by refusing to sign it.

At this point I believe that if we force his hand, he will back down. Nobody wants this albatross around their necks and if we force Obama into a corner (like the Ruskies did in Syria) he will back down.

[Fungi]

Kill it now. Period. Letting this demon monster grow will only allow it to metastasize into every part of our lives. Kill it now.

[mosesdapoet]

Who are the co-sponsors and any chance of this making it to the floor. Plus what can we do to make this happen ?

[DaveA37]

“Kill it now. Period.”...

I agree but don’t believe there are enough Repubs with the backbone to get it done. Boehner certainly won’t support killing it so if he doesn’t bring it to the floor, it’s a dead bill.

[SkyPilot]

Michael Medved was spouting truth this afternoon when he spoke the truth: the Republicans are a minority in the Federal government.

They do not control the Senate, nor the White House. There is no way that the Senate will come up with 67 votes to override an Obama veto that "de-funds" ObamaCare.

None.

First of all, the only "de-funding" they are discussing is discretionary, which is a minuscule slice of the monster that is ObamaCare. It is MANDATORY spending, as it is an Entitlement. It was designed that way - the same as your Social Security and Medicare is an Entitlement driven by MANDATORY spending. And, for all the "Shut Er Down!" crowd, if it happens both sides will protect the very thing in the interim that is causing our fiscal collapse: Entitlements! Those checks will almost certainly keep on rolling in.

Here is what needs to happen before we collapse as a nation: a Simpson-Bowles type approach that includes Entitlement and Tax reform.

ObamaCare cannot be defeated until Republicans win back more Senate seats and the White House.

Period. If you are taking your cue from Sean Hannity on "de-funding" ObamaCare, you are fool.

[upchuck]

Don't miss this classic by Piglosi:

Later, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi warned that any legislation that scraps the Affordable Care Act would lead to a government shutdown.

“They know that what they’re proposing is not going to pass the Senate or be signed by the president, so why don’t we just save time, be constructive?” Pelosi, D-Calif., said during a news conference at the Capitol. “Just because you’re an anti-government ideologue who has landed in Congress, doesn’t mean that you should be shutting down government.”

Brilliant!

Staying with the brilliant theme, here's a quote attributed to Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX):

Let’s see if Obama is willing to shut down the government to fund Obamacare.

[Fungi]

My thought exactly. I call his offices in Ohio and say: get a backbone!”

[mtnwmn]

I agree with you but I don’t think the republicans has the balls.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Graves is one of our best GA reps.

[xzins]

In terms of ObamaCare, I don’t see the point in not going for the kill every chance you get.

I’d never punt. I’d always go for the yardage. We only need to win once.

[Hoodat]

Michael Medved was spouting truth this afternoon . . .

I happen to like Medved, but he is dead wrong on this one. The part he ignores is that it will be the Democrats who are choosing to shut the government down here, not the GOP. And on top of that, it will expose the lie that Obamacare is revenue-neutral. I say go for it. What is the worst that could happen? People could begin to gain respect for Republicans for actually growing a pair and doing what they said they would do three years ago?

[SkyPilot]

I happen to like Medved, but he is dead wrong on this one. Respectfully, he isn't wrong.

Hannity and Sen Rand Paul have this mutual Bromance Man-Boy Love Fest on Sean's radio show three or four times a week now, telling each other how wonderful they are for supporting the "de-funding" of ObamaCare tied to the Continuing Resolution, the FY14 Budget, and the Debt Ceiling.

He said the truth: these two are lying, Sean for ratings/popularity, and Paul to launch himself as the Libertarian/Tea Party stalwart going into the 2016 Presidential campaign.

he part he ignores is that it will be the Democrats who are choosing to shut the government down here, not the GOP. And on top of that, it will expose the lie that Obamacare is revenue-neutral.

Again, you are mistaken. The media won't carry that message, the dolts we have in America who vote left of the Bell Curve mean will not care. Do you how dumb most of Americans are? 58% of them think ObamaCare has been repealed already or overturned by the Supreme Court.

The Democrats and Obama will not get blamed for anything. It will be the GOP who will pay the price for forcing an issue they are sure to lose, and in the process they will simultaneously strengthen a currently weak Obama while the GOP cuts its own throat in the next midterm elections.

What is the worst that could happen?

I see the same brinkmanship that led to the Sequester, which has decimated the military. The GOP has demonstrated that it will cut off their "friends" quicker than Dallas. The GOP will eventually fold when the debt default cannot be avoided, creditors will downgrade the US big time, the stock market will tank, and the world will accelerate dropping the US as the Reserve Currency. All that will cause our interest on our own debt to skyrocket.

The GOP will have gained nothing in the end except the "satisfaction" that they flew a Kamikaze plane into their own house.

Medved asked 3 three callers, flat out, tell me politically how we win this with Obama as the President and the Senate in Democrat hands.

EVERY SINGLE CALLER then ranted about how angry they were with ObamaCare and they "didn't care!" how it got done.

These people are delusional.

If it comes to grandma missing her SS check for a couple of weeks, I am with you. Perhaps that is what it will take for the public to wake up. But I guarantee the check cashiers will not be affected in the short term, because both parties are too cowardly to upset them at this point.

[Fungi]

Perhaps, but let's keep the pressure on. What other option do we have save the next election?

[Lancey Howard]

Great start.