Republicans 'Have Done Nothing of Substance' to Block Obamacare

Republicans 'Have Done Nothing of Substance' to Block Obamacare By Susan Jones

In three weeks, Americans will start signing up for government-mandated health insurance in the new Obamacare exchanges, and that's fueling a conservative push to block the law before it goes any further. So far, according to one conservative activist, Republicans "have done nothing of substance" to get rid of Obamacare, a law that passed without a single Republican vote.

"When the Democrats passed Obamacare, every single Republican in the House and the Senate voted against it. Every single Republican in the House and Senate vowed to do something about it," said L. Brent Bozell III, the chairman of ForAmerica.org. He noted that Republicans took control of the House in 2010 by campaigning against Obamacare. "Sean, the problem is, they have done nothing about it," Bozell told Sean Hannity Monday night. And while Republican lawmakers talk about all the things they have done to defund and repeal Obamacare, "they have done  nothing of substance," Bozell said. "Here comes the one opportunity where you can say, 'Fund the whole government, including the things we don't like. Fund it all. Not Obamacare, which nobody wants.' It's extraordinary."

Some Republicans are giving lip service to defunding Obamacare, said Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots: "They are playing games and they are being dishonest," she told Hannity Monday night. "They are saying things like, 'I am a cosponsor of the Ted Cruz bill.' But they will not sign the letter that (Sen.) Mike Lee has, making a commitment, a pledge that they will fund all of the government except for Obamacare, period, no matter what. They won't do that." Martin and Bozell accuse some Republicans of being deceitful. "It's going on as we speak," Bozell said. "Majority Leader Eric Cantor today announced a defund move, defund legislation. It's a sleight of hand. He should be ashamed of himself," Bozell said. "There are two votes coming up," Bozell explained. "One is a defunding of Obamacare, which has no bearing on anything. The president doesn't have to sign it." The second vote is for a continuing resolution that does fund Obamacare. "That's the one that matters," Bozell said, calling Cantor's defund bill "a "cynical attempt to manipulate. It is eye candy for his constituents." Bozell and Martin say they've talked to voters across the country, and "people are fed up with it." "They are going to vote a lot of these people out," Bozell said. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has introduced legislation to defund Obamacare in the continuing resolution, but to give the effort leverage, Republicans are being urged to sign Sen. Mike Lee's letter, which says "we will not support any continuing resolution or appropriations legislation that funds further implementation or enforcement of Obamacare." So far, at least 12 Senate Republicans have signed Cruz's letter, and in the house, 80 Republicans have signed a similar pledge written by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.).

Republicans say there's no point in supporting separate legislation that defunds Obamacare, because those bills will never be considered. The must-pass continuing resolution is the only way to get the job done. Still, some Republicans, including the leaders of the Senate and House, have refused to sign the pledge to defund Obamacare in the continuing resolution, apparently unwilling to take a stand that would risk a government shutdown.