Posted on 09/28/2013 5:45:51 PM PDT by LD Jackson
According to reports coming out of Washington, Republicans in the House of Representatives have come up with a plan that will temporarily fund the government. The plan also repeals the medical device tax included in Obamacare and delays the implementation of the legislation for one year. Two quick points about the plan. The medical device tax is a big source of the revenue the Obama administration expects to see out of Obamacare and delaying the implementation would mean specifically delaying the mandate that every individual in America purchase health care insurance. More on that in a moment. First, the reaction from the Democrats is not promising. In fact, it's downright hostile. From Fox News, here is what the Democrats are saying.
Nancy Pelosi - “The Senate has acted in a clear way to keep government open," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Saturday. "Instead, House Republicans are insisting on not one but two proposals to shut down government."Let me go on record here. I cease to be amazed or surprised at the rhetoric the Democrats can come up with. They are truly masters at this game of politics. For weeks, months, even years, we have heard them accuse Republican of all manner of political evils. They hammer continually at us, saying we need to learn to compromise, that we want everything or nothing. They insist we are bending to the will of an extreme faction of our party. I would contend compromise means something else besides giving away the house for the promise of future concessions.“The Republican measure is a gift to the insurance companies by putting them back in charge of Americans’ health care, and it is a complete abdication of responsibility on the part of the House Republican leadership as they bow yet again to the ransom demands of the Tea Party.
“Republicans have made their point, now we have to end it. They must abandon this dangerous path to create a Republican Government Shutdown and work with Democrats on a responsible plan to keep the government working for the American people, responsibly reduce the deficit, and create economic prosperity and jobs for all middle class families.”
Harry Reid - Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., warned that the Senate will not accept any House measure that contains provisions opposed by Democrats. And he knows better than anyone that any single senator could slow down the Senate's ability to return yet another version to the House.
"This is it. Time is gone," Reid said. Republicans "should think very carefully about their next steps. Any bill that continues to play political games will force a government shutdown."
"To be absolutely clear, the Senate will reject both the one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act and the repeal of the medical device tax," he said. "After weeks of futile political games from Republicans, we are still at square one."
President Obama - Obama criticized conservative Republicans on Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address, arguing that even many GOP senators and governors were urging their House colleagues to "knock it off."
"Republicans in the House have been more concerned with appeasing an extreme faction of their party than working to pass a budget that creates new jobs or strengthens the middle class," the president said.
I know we have a limited amount of power in Washington, especially given the unwillingness of the Democrats to compromise. I would point out that Republicans are trying to fund the government. They do not want to see a government shutdown, but they are trying to give the American voters the same relief President Obama has granted to his friends in big business, the unions, and Congress. All they are asking is to delay the individual mandate for one year and repeal the medical device tax contained in Obamacare. The tactics they are using are the same tactics used by Congress in the past. Politicians from both parties have used previous debates over funding the government and the debt ceiling to gain concessions for their side of the argument.
This is not a new thing, folks. And yes, it has sometimes resulted in the government shutting down for a few days. I will concede that today's political climate in America is vastly different from the political climate that prevailed during the days of our parents. The rhetoric from the Democrats, coupled with the bias of the media, dictates that the Republicans will carry the brunt of the blame for any shutdown of the government that comes out of this impasse. That does not mean they deserve the blame, however.
The Republicans are trying to compromise with President Obama and his liberal cohorts in 
Congress. They are not trying to shut down the government, just to get their way. They are simply voicing the valid concerns they have about Obamacare and the financial condition of the federal government. Again, this is not a new thing. As much as I dislike this way of conducting the business of the federal government, it is the way it has been done for more than a few years.
I know many Republicans and conservatives will disagree with what I am about to say, but it needs to be said. We are at the point in America where we have a group of bullies in Washington. Chief among them is the man living in the White House, but close behind are the liberals in Congress. They are great at calling Republicans out for taking a stand and refusing to compromise, but they are as guilty, if not more so, than we are. We tried to defund Obamacare. That attempt failed because Harry Reid allowed only a single amendment to the Continuing Resolution sent to the Senate from the House of Representatives. That amendment added the funding for Obamacare back into the legislation.
Republicans in the House are now trying to broker a compromise, but are being told, again, no dice. The only compromise President Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi are interested in is having it all their own way. It is very possible a government shutdown will be the result of this wrangling. And as much as the Democrats and the media try to pin the blame on the Republicans, that is a blatant lie. Maybe this is a foolish move, politically speaking, but I don't like a bully. Republicans have compromised and compromised, ad nauseam. It is past time they stood their ground and called the bluff of the Democrats.
This is how I visualize the House Republicans right now
why don’t the republicans point our that they are trying to protect middle class taxpayers from the huge health insurance premium increases that will be coming with Obamacare [as well as the fines that will come to those who cannot afford to purchase health insurance]; as well as to protect those employees who will have their work hours shortened and thus paychecks cut as their employers reduce their work hours in order to escape the blackhole of Obamacare.
The GOP needs to show that they are on the side of the working class, and remind those who will listen, that it is Obama and company who are shutting down the government because they are controlled by leftwing zealots who refuse to compromise in order to keep the government funded and open.
I read a statement that (on one base), all “essential” people should report on Day 1.
They won’t get paid, but they will report. I guarantee it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.