Sen. Burr: Defunding ObamaCare 'dumbest idea I've ever heard'

thehill.com ^ | 7/26/13 | Daniel Strauss

[cotton1706]

Blocking a government funding bill over ObamaCare is "the dumbest idea I've ever heard," Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said Thursday.

Burr argued stopping ObamaCare's funding is not going to be achievable as long as President Obama is in the White House, and that Republicans risked taking the blame if they forced the goverment to shut down over the issue.

"I think it's the dumbest idea I've ever heard," Burr told journalist Todd Zwilich Thursday. "Listen, as long as Barack Obama is president the Affordable Care Act is gonna be law.

"I think some of these guys need to understand that you shut down the federal government, you better have a specific reason to do it that's achievable," Burr continued. "Defunding the Affordable Care Act is not achievable through shutting down the federal government."

Support is building within the House and Senate GOP for using a continuing resolution to fund the government to take a stand on ObamaCare.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been among the loudest voices arguing Republicans should not fund ObamaCare through a government-funding measure.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is spearheading the effort and has rallied a number of Tea Party Republicans and members of Senate Republican leadership around the proposal.

House Republicans are also putting pressure on their leaders over the issue.

On Wednesday, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) also expressed opposition to the proposal.

"I think holding the debt limit hostage to any specific thing is probably not the best negotiating place," Blunt said.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Is it also true when you are “defunding” a bill that it doesn’t require the President’s signature...

Yes. It's something that the House has complete control over. Notice that Boehner doesn't use this power, but he does schedule futile House votes.

I can only conclude that he doesn't want to repeal Boehnercare.™

[viaveritasvita]

I’ll probably end up doing a face palm with this question, but...

How does defunding ObunglerCare equate with shutting down the government?? I’m thinking it’s because there will be a big fight to the finish (ie to the point where gov shuts down or the R’s back down)...??

A bunch of eunuchs are running the opposition!

[C. Edmund Wright]

I advise this tutorial.....you'll never buy that estab/liberal/conventional wisdom pabluum again once you read this:

[napscoordinator]

You don’t have a damn say in it anyway. Quite frankly I don’t either. So get off your elitist attitude. It is not impressing anyone. You keep doing nothing like you did in 2012. You seem very happy with the results as you can’t wait to screw us again in 2014.

[napscoordinator]

This is NOT a fact! It’s BS rino conjecturing nonsense which has put the republican party where it is today.

I believe if you ask anybody, that would be the answer regardless.

[sport]

You are too kind to them.

[sirchtruth]

LOL! Keep on telling yourself crap! Keep on propping up the LIES of the MSM. Keep believing "Compromise" is the answer. I believe you're FOS and the single biggest obstacle to conservatism and the Idea of America!

I believe if you ask most anybody that would be their answer, except for liberal coddlers and rino prix.

[SoothingDave]

Can you provide any evidence of one chamber of Congress successfully preventing the implementation of an enacted law by defunding it?

[napscoordinator]

Stay tuned.......didn’t they say history is bound to be repeated by the ignorant. I guess we MIGHT be about to find out just how IGNORANT people are.

[SoothingDave]

When Reagan was president, the democrats wanted him to stop supporting freedom-fighters opposing their liberal socialists buddies in south america, but they had no way to pass a law. SO instead, they simply cut all funding, making it illegal to SPEND any money for that support — even though otherwise, existing law made that support legal. So rather than changing a law, they used funding.

How did they cut the funding? Who controlled Congress?

[C. Edmund Wright]

Six seats in the House is almost nothing....and we only lost 2. We also gained 2 SENATE seats, which is 12X more significant statistically (doubt you’ll figure that one out.) And the Prez election wasn’t due to the shutdown...it was due to Doles’ awful candidacy.

[Colonel_Flagg]

"How does defunding ObunglerCare equate with shutting down the government?? I’m thinking it’s because there will be a big fight to the finish (ie to the point where gov shuts down or the R’s back down)...??"

Actually, you're right. Since the Democrat Senate won't pass a budget, the government is funded by continuing resolutions (which is another reason the debt ceiling debate keeps coming up).

If the Democrats insist on funding DeathCare through a CR and the Republicans actually stand on their hind legs for once and defeat them, the Democrats will shut down the government.

And that last sentence is known as 'message management', which the Republican Party refuses to attempt.

[GeronL]

wow.

The Republican Party deserves the death they are dying.

[viaveritasvita]

Thank you for the response, Colonel. It seems that all I can ever say any more is....just...just DAMN. Damn all these corruptocrats. G-d help me, but I. HATE. THEM!

[sirchtruth]

I appreciate your service to this country, thank you.

I'm sorry if I come off as complete whack job asswhole, but the way you describe your positions is nothing less than full blown rino favoritism.

You state: I have been a Republican since 18 and find myself in agreement with their positions.

Do you agree with the positions of McCain, Graham, Snow and Collins on most issues? Do you think conservatives should compromise with dems and most gov't programs we have today? Do you think we should accept Obamacare and is defunding it the stupidest thing you and Sen Burr have ever heard?

[Colonel_Flagg]

You are not alone. And you’re welcome.

[Amagi]

I have concern that We The People may be screwed in the current situation.
The only peaceful hope for the nation is that the Republican Party assume a pro-active movement to destroy ObamaCare.
There are too many Big Government Republican RINOs standing in the way.
Burr is a POS.
Rove has stated he wants to let ObamaCare implode on it's own, but as disastrous as ObamaCare would be once it becomes established it will never go away, short of violent rebellion.
We are being forced into a corner by the statists.

[napscoordinator]

I’m sorry if I come off as complete whack job asswhole,

Me too. I come off way worse then I mean. I apologize for my actions. My excuse (as lame as it is) is that I am so nervous about the future of our country that it makes me want to scream. I just don’t get half our country. The Republicans had the opportunity to at least do well in the Senate in 2012 and botched it up. I fear they may again in 2014. I am disgusted with McCain and Linda 100 percent. Collins is in a very different situation as she is literally in a deep blue state....I don’t necessarily excuse her but understand why she does some of her votes. Collins is retiring so begone with her. Have a great weekend!