Sen. Cruz: Delaying only one aspect of this mess leaves
Proposes Bill to Fully Defund Obamacare
WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is today introducing legislation to fully defund Obamacare. Co-sponsors of the bill include Sens. Lamar Alexander, (R-TN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Richard Burr (R-NC), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rand Paul (R-KY), Rob Portman (R-OH), Jim Risch (R-ID), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pat Toomey (R-PA), John Thune (R-SD), David Vitter (R-LA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Sen. Cruz issued the following statement:
“Consistent with my long-standing position that no continuing resolution or other appropriations measure should fund Obamacare, I am introducing a bill to permanently defund the law.
The Administration's recent announcement to delay the onerous and unpopular employer mandate until after the 2014 election, coupled with its announcement to delay income and health status eligibility requirements in favor of an honor system for the most expensive entitlement for our generation, confirms what has been obvious from the start—this law is a colossal mistake.
Yesterday, all 46 Senate Republicans called on President Obama to permanently delay the law. This legislation would guarantee that result by ensuring not one more taxpayer dime is wasted in its establishment.
The Administration's selective enforcement of Obamacare's implementation is no indication that the law is going away. To the contrary, it demonstrates the President's unyielding determination to force the unworkable law on the American people.
Delaying only one aspect of this tangled mess leaves Americans holding the tab for an irreparably broken law they do not support. Moreover, it leaves in motion many of the most egregious parts of the law, ensuring they will take root in just a few short months. This is untenable.
I agree with the lead Senate author of Obamacare, Democrat Senator Max Baucus, that Obamacare has become a "huge train wreck."
President Obama wants to delay the employer mandate – giving large businesses a temporary reprieve from part of Obamacare's job-killing impact – but he is unwilling to give hardworking American families the same consideration. But everyone, not just large corporations, deserves to be spared being forced to participate in the Obamacare "train wreck."
Moreover, in light of the admitted misconduct of the IRS – targeting those whose political views differed from the President's – we cannot trust the IRS to implement Obamacare. The American people cannot trust the IRS to create and enforce the largest federal database in history, containing the intimate details of our personal healthcare matters.
And we cannot just wait for this law to implode under its own weight. The clock is ticking, and the time to act is now – Obamacare full implementation is set for January 1, 2014, but the enrollment for new entitlements starts on October 1, 2013.
We must remain vigilant in making the argument that Obamacare harms economic growth, disrupts the doctor-patient relationship and tramples on our liberties. But it doesn't end there. We must guarantee that American taxpayers do not spend one more dime to implement Obamacare.
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