With everything going on abroad these last few weeks, it was easy to forget what we are dealing with on the home front. This morning on radio, Glenn spoke with Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) about the ongoing fight to defund ObamaCare. There is a deep schism between the establishment GOP and the more conservative members of Congress. Sen. Lee addressed this conflict and explained what the American public can do to help in these final few weeks before the vote.
“[The House] have voted against universal healthcare now 41 times, voted against it 41 times, but all in votes where it doesn't really matter. 41 times,” Glenn said. “So the chance to defund it is right now, and it has to happen before October 1st. Now [House Majority Leader Eric] Cantor (R-VA) has decided that he's going to do a little shell game. Senator Mike Lee is here to expose this and tell you exactly what you can do to help.”
Over the last 36 hours, Republican leadership has been floating an idea that would basically allow congressional Republicans to claim they voted to defund ObamaCare, when in reality, the vote ensures the healthcare law will remain funded and fully operational.
“So House Republican leadership in the last 36 hours or so has been floating an idea to move forward with a plan that would do two things with one vote: It would pass two pieces of legislation with one vote in the House,” Sen. Lee explained. “One of those pieces of legislation would defund ObamaCare. The other one would pass a so‑called ‘clean continuing resolution,’ funding everything in government and allowing ObamaCare to remain funded and fully operational. And both of those pieces of legislation would be transmitted separately to the Senate after one vote in the House, leaving the Senate free, of course, to defeat the defund measure and then subsequently immediately pass the clean CR, keeping everything in government, including ObamaCare, funded and submitting that to the president for his certain signature without any subsequent action by the House.”
In addition to Sen. Lee, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and others have been on the program several times over the last few months, urging Americans to contact their representatives and demand ObamaCare be defunded. While it is easy to be discouraged by the seeming lack of action, Sen. Lee explained the petition posted on DontFundIt.com has already garnered 1.2 million signatures.
“The point is: We were elected to represent our people, the people of our respective states. We were not elected to represent the interests of the elite partisan political establishment in Washington,” Sen. Lee said. “And increasingly that's what the American people want and expect us to do is to stand up for those things that they care about. And Glenn, the American people are overwhelmingly against ObamaCare. It's controversial only in Washington.”
Considering ObamaCare’s popularity has been in steep decline, you have to wonder why the Republican establishment is so desperate to ensure its funding.
“Why is the GOP doing it then,” Glenn asked. “Why are John Boehner and Cantor and everybody else, why are they doing this? “
“You know, it's a difficult question. I'm always hesitant to speak for others, especially others within my own party with whom I disagree… The only thing I can figure is that, based on what they've said, they don't believe that they can win this fight, and therefore they're not willing to even try,” Sen. Lee speculated. “The only way that we know something can't be done is if we don't try at all in the first place… When most Americans recognize that ObamaCare is going to make their family's healthcare situation worse, when people are losing their jobs, they're having their hours cut, when people are losing access to their doctors and to health insurance plans that they've come to rely on over the years, this isn't funny. This isn't something we can trifle with. This isn't something that we can use as just a sort of a tool for partisan political manipulation. This is something the American people expect us to fight on and they expect us to stop this very bad law.”
Sen. Lee reiterated that it is important to make your voice heard. By visiting DontFundIt.com and signing the petition, you are giving Sen. Lee and his colleagues the ammunition they need to convince others to halt the funding of ObamaCare. With just 20 days left until the vote, encourage your friends and family to do the same.
“Senator Mike Lee from Utah. Truly one of the good guys,” Glenn said. “I mean, I just, I wrote down Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul. These guys are the hope of the republic. They really are. I don't know what tomorrow brings, but these guys are the hope of tomorrow. And you can make a difference if you go to DontFundIt.com.”
