Posted on 03/16/2013 4:28:50 AM PDT by IbJensen
(CNSNews.com) House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he would not include language to defund Obamacare in the continuing resolution bill when it returns to the House, stating, our goal is not to shut down the government.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) offered an amendment to the Senate version of the CR that would have defunded Obamacare. However, the Senate is controlled by Democrats and, on Wednesday, Cruz's amendment failed.
Cruz pointed out, however, that if the Senate CR differs at all from the one passed previously by the House, the House would have another chance to vote on it, and could amend it then to defund Obamacare.
Under the Constitution, the Executive Branch cannot spend any money from the Treasury unless it is appropriated by a law passed by Congress. The government is now spending money under a CR that expires on March 27. For the government to spend money after that date, Congress needs to pass a new CR appropriating the money. If that CR prohibits the administration from spending money to implement Obamacare, President Obama cannot spend money implementing Obamacare.
Were the House to pass a CR prohibiting funding of Obamacare the only way the president or Democrat-controlled Senate could get money to implement Obamacare would be to refuse to pass the CR and thus shut down government funding for everything else until the Republican House relented and agreed to fund Obamacare.
If the House refused to fund Obamacare, it could not be implemented.
During his weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday, CNSNews.com asked Boehner if he agreed with Cruz's suggestion that the Republican House should put language in the CR defunding Obamacare when the Senate version of the CR comes back to the House.
We have voted many times over the last 2 years that we've been in the majority to defund Obamacare, to repeal Obamacare, and we will do so again here in the House in the coming months," Boehner said. "Our goal here is to cut spending.
Its not to shut down the government, he said.
I believe that trying to put Obamacare on this vehicle risks shutting down the government, Boehner said. Thats not what our goal is. Our goal here is to reduce spending.
House Republicans have symbolically voted to repeal Obamacare more than 30 times in legislation that did not need to pass. However, every time they have enacted legislation that must-pass to keep the government funded, they have declined to include language that would repeal all or any part of Obamacare or that would withhold funding for all or any part of Obamacare.
The initial $982-billion version of the CR to fund the government after March 27, which passed the House last week, included funding to implement Obamacare. The CR is now being deliberated in the Senate, and if it is amended, will return to the House.
On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz introduced an amendment to the CR that would have delayed funding for Obamacare until economic growth returns to historic averages. The amendment failed in the Senate, 45-52.
Though he did not expect the amendment to pass, Cruz said it was important to stand on principle, and urged Republicans in the House to do the same.
I think its the right position for Republicans to be taking, Cruz told CNSNews.com on Wednesday. And I think it would be exactly the right decision to then send it back to Harry Reid and President Obama and ask if Harry Reid and President Obama are willing to try to shut the government down in order to insist that Obamacare be fully funded now, even though it could well push us into a recession.
Sure hope he didn’t shed any tears when he made this assertion. Do what the people want. Throw em all out. Have another cigarette Johnny.
They will never relinquish power unless forced.
Boy o boy, that Bonehead is a real fighter, ain’t he?
Johnny is going to hold out until he gets his own food taster.
Well, where would you have us form up?
Boehner has always been for ObamaCARE,
like Romney who created it.
The GOP and GOPe are now as evil as the DNC.
Fact is that the GOP wants ObamaCare as much as the. Dems do...and the GOP plans to extend it to Illegal Aliens when Amnesty is passed.
Real Conservatives have realized this fact.
Thumbs up. Deep Six the MF’rs.
What Boehner is rally saying is that he would rather bankrupt us in the future than shut down the Government now.
Has Boner come out for Gay “marriage” yet like his homie Rob Portman?
FUJB and your kin.
.
Hey hey, ho ho
John Boehner
has to go!
I heard him say this yesterday and nearly wrecked! That fool needs to be replaced. Bring in Allen West!
Republicans had their chance to get rid of Boehner, they didn’t take it. They will not defund Obamacare, surrender monkey Boehner says “it’s the law of the land”. The Republican candidate had the original Obamacare plan and only wanted to “repeal and replace” it.
And Republicans deserve support why??????
Throw them out!
For John Boehner to be worthless would be a step up for him.
uh oh. Looks like our Boehner went limp again....
President Reagan was correct when he said the closest thing to immortality is a government program. There is no way either party will get rid of this abomination. They are not about to relinquish the power it gives over us subjects.
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.