Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why I Left the Freedom Caucus
Townhall.com ^ | April 2, 2017 | Congressman Ted Poe

Posted on 04/02/2017 4:48:29 AM PDT by Kaslin

For eight years, I have joined my colleagues in the fight to repeal and replace the train wreck that is Obamacare. This was the call heard around the nation for years, particularly leading up to President Trump's historic victory. We promised the American people that if they supported us, help would be on the way. As a conservative, I believe that the federal government should have a limited role in our personal lives, including health care. As a cancer patient, I knew the importance of getting this bill right and replacing Obamacare with a patient-centered solution that also ensures access to care for the nearly 30 percent of Americans with pre-existing conditions. But as the American Health Care Act teetered on the edge of a cliff, it was the Freedom Caucus that helped give it the final push.

How did we get here?

A little history. The truth is that while most Americans had no idea what the Freedom Caucus was until a few weeks ago when it became the official opposition to the Obamacare replacement plan, this group has quietly existed for a while. Two years ago, the most conservative members of the House – myself included – banded together to force leadership to give conservatives a seat at the table when negotiating major legislation. Our goal was to advance the most conservative agenda possible in Congress and give a voice to our constituents who felt that they did not have one. Until this year, we faced a president who opposed everything we stood for, and a leadership that excluded us. This year, that changed.

From start to finish, Speaker Ryan has gone out of his way to be inclusive, and President Trump literally brought us to the table, listening to our concerns, agreeing to some of the group’s demands, and changing the bill to be more conservative. The caucus asked for major concessions, and the bill was changed to include some of them. At a meeting at the White House, the president even agreed to change what is considered Essential Health Benefits by amending the bill to allow states to make that decision. But the goalpost kept moving further and further down the field. It became clear to me that no matter what was included and changed, the answer would still be no. That’s why I left the Freedom Caucus even though I agree with them on most issues and consider them my friends. The bill wasn’t perfect – no piece of legislation is – but it was absolutely far better than Obamacare. Like it or not, the reality of the makeup of the House and Senate is that if you demand a purist repeal of Obamacare, it will die on the floor. This was our chance to make meaningful change.

The Freedom Caucus served as a check on a liberal administration and former House leadership that repeatedly compromised with Democrats. Times have changed. Republicans – mostly conservatives – control it all now. It is our time to lead. It is our time to unify and deliver on the promises that we made for years. Those calling for otherwise have been in Washington long enough to know that you do not get everything you want in any bill.

We can no longer allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. The American Health Care Act included major conservative reforms. It would have repealed the individual and employer mandates, reduced taxes, expanded health savings accounts, ensured access to coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, and allowed young adults to stay on their parents’ plan. It would have also defunded Planned Parenthood. Overall, this bill would have accomplished much of what we have been seeking all along, and the administration had committed to push forward what couldn’t be done in this bill separately.

I want to be part of the conservative majority that delivers solutions. Americans voted for solutions. Americans voted for help to make their lives easier and more affordable. We must give them the solutions they demand, that they deserve, and that we promised. I am encouraged that conversations have restarted within the House Republican Conference, and I hope that we can all get on the same page in the hymnal and produce a bill that delivers on our promise to the American people.

And that’s just the way it is.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: 0bamacare; 115th; ahca; freedomcaucus; freedumbcaucus; healthcare; housefreedomcaucus; markmeadows; tedpoe; trump; trumpwasright; usconservative
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-127 next last
To: Helicondelta

So are you going to move on getting Democrats to lose in 18?

Or are you only going to go after Republicans?


81 posted on 04/02/2017 9:10:40 AM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

The American people have learned by now that if Congress doesn’t want the public to read it and understand it BEFORE it is passed into law, it’s corporate-sponsored garbage that is terrible for the public.


82 posted on 04/02/2017 9:12:21 AM PDT by thoughtomator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: maggief

If it’s already passed the Senate why can’t Trump just sign it?


83 posted on 04/02/2017 9:16:21 AM PDT by Lil Flower (American by birth. Southern by the Grace of God. ROLL TIDE!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Helicondelta

You sound like the kind of person who would be far more comfortable with having Eric Cantor there instead of Dave Brat.

Maybe it would be good for you to spend some time contemplating why one of the most powerful politicians in the nation - a key member of the notorious House GOP leadership, in line to have been Speaker right now were his career train not derailed by the voters - was sent packing by his constituents.


84 posted on 04/02/2017 9:16:31 AM PDT by thoughtomator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Cheerio

“maybe even 16 if you want to be branded a real conservative.”

28 years if you want to be branded a real conservative.


85 posted on 04/02/2017 9:25:28 AM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: wintertime

The Republicans have had 7 years to put in place a full repeal **and** address the points that you made.

These guys and gals are incompetent.


Don’t disagree. However, if Trump pandered anywhere on the trail it was most evident discussing health care. He said they would replace it with something so those millions on Obamacare did not immediately lose their insurance.

It has to start somewhere and they said this was “a start.” I am not ready to die on the hill of perfect and after listening to Tom Price I now understand that the door needs to be open for him to go in and deconstruct the bill. As it stands now his abilities are limited.


86 posted on 04/02/2017 9:28:25 AM PDT by volunbeer (Clinton Cash = Proof of Corruption)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
One time while golfing in Scottsdale I hit my golf ball into the caucus, to paraphrase Jesse "Stay out of the Caucuses"

Where my coffee?

87 posted on 04/02/2017 9:39:50 AM PDT by datricker (Democratic Party - aborting their voter base since 1973)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Can someone please explain to me why this Freedom Caucus member, who was against the repeal bill, was also against the 7 country travel ban?????

How do you call Rep. Justin Amash a hero for the health care bill, but not a ****ing traitor for being against the travel ban???

Come on all you FC lovers...explain this to me!!!!!


88 posted on 04/02/2017 9:47:50 AM PDT by MaxistheBest (...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin; All
Thank you for referencing that article Kaslin. As usual, please note that the following critique is directed at the article and not at you.

"Like it or not, the reality of the makeup of the House and Senate is that if you demand a purist repeal of Obamacare, it will die on the floor."

FR: Never Accept the Premise of Your Opponent’s Argument

With all due respect to Congressman Ted Poe, please consider the following.

While I agree with everything that Poe said about Freedom Caucus, he gave no indication in his article that he, or anybody in the legislative and executive branches, understands or respects the constitutional reality that the states states have never expressly constitutionally delegated to the feds the specific power to regulate, tax and spend in the name of INTRAstate healthcare.

After all, all that it takes to kill Obamacare is to argue the following clarifications of Congress’s limited powers by previous generations of state sovereignty-respecting Supreme Court justices.

Trumpcare must kill Obamacare in the following way imo.

Patriots need to support Trump and Sessions in working with corrupt Congress to do the following. The Trump Administration must go through the books and remove all laws, particularly healthcare-related laws, that Congress cannot reasonably justify under its Commerce Clause powers (1.8.3), unconstitutional federal interference in intrastate commerce arguably helping to raise healthcare costs.

And if Trumpcare requires new constitutional powers then patriots must support Trump in working with the states and Congress to ratify a Trumpcare amendment to the Constitution, the amendment giving the feds specific new powers to regulate intrastate healthcare.

Drain the swamp! Drain the swamp!

Remember in November ’18 !

Since Trump entered the ’16 presidential race too late for patriots to make sure that there were state sovereignty-respecting candidates on the primary ballots, patriots need make sure that such candidates are on the ’18 primary ballots so that they can be elected to support Trump in draining the unconstitutionally big federal government swamp.

Such a Congress will also be able to finish draining the swamp with respect to getting the remaining state sovereignty-ignoring, activist Supreme Court justices off of the bench.

In fact, if Justice Gorsuch is approved but turns out to be a liberal Trojan Horse then we will need 67 patriot senators to remove a House-impeached Gorsuch from office.

Noting that the primaries start in Iowa and New Hampshire in February ‘18, patriots need to challenge candidates for federal office in the following way.

While I Googled the primary information above concerning Iowa and New Hampshire, FReeper iowamark brought to my attention that the February primaries for these states apply only to presidential election years. And after doing some more scratching, since primary dates for most states for 2018 elections probably haven’t been uploaded at this time (March 14, 2017), FReepers will need to find out primary dates from sources and / or websites in their own states.

Patriots need to qualify candidates by asking them why the Founding States made the Constitution’s Section 8 of Article I; to limit (cripple) the federal government’s powers.

Patriots also need to find candidates that are knowledgeable of the Supreme Court's clarifications of the federal government’s limited powers listed above.

89 posted on 04/02/2017 9:52:01 AM PDT by Amendment10
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thoughtomator

Exactly right. Eric Cantor would have voted for the crap sandwich.
However, if we had not taken the weasel Eric Cantor out in June of 2014, the weasels he is supporting would have passed Rubio’s amnesty and there would be no President Trump.


90 posted on 04/02/2017 10:07:05 AM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here Of Citizen Parents - Know Islam, No Peace -No Islam, Know Peace)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: Helicondelta
The Freedom Caucus is a pack of saboteurs who do nothing but help the democrats. They saved Obamacare, called on Trump to withdraw from the presidential race last October and refused to vote for him (Justin Amash).

That's the thing about these big political organizations. They can be easily influenced and infiltrated. And this organization is certainly not isolated from that.

91 posted on 04/02/2017 10:11:03 AM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: MaxistheBest

>>>Can someone please explain to me why this Freedom Caucus member, who was against the repeal bill, was also against the 7 country travel ban?????<<<

See 91.


92 posted on 04/02/2017 10:14:26 AM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: mewzilla
Q: Why not just repeal the mandate in a stand-alone bill and sort the rest out later?

A: Because such a bill would die in the Senate.

Now if that's what you want, ok, but realize that it might not even put senators on record as having voted for or against. Why? Because in the Senate the bill might not even make it to the floor for a vote. It might be stalled permanently due to filibusters, holds, etc.

Conservatives have got to understand that the Senate is a dysfunctional body because, somewhere along the way, their rules became so distorted that they require 60 votes for almost anything. This is most definitely a double-edged sword. It helps the minority, but in our hyper-partisan times, it also stops the duly elected majority from getting anything done.

93 posted on 04/02/2017 10:34:53 AM PDT by Avalon Memories (Compromise is NOT a dirty word. It's how human society functions every day.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Avalon Memories

Filibusters are conservative.

Examine the Constitution. NOWHERE IN IT DOES IT INSTRUCT THE SENATE TO USE MAJORITY VOTES FOR LEGISLATION OR NOMINEES.

It specifies thresholds for impeachment and treaties, neither of which are 51 votes.

Theoretically, in a liberal or progressive world, 35 votes could pass legislation and nominees. That provides for rapid progressive change, not slow conservative change.

60 votes is conservative. You guys don’t seem to be.


94 posted on 04/02/2017 10:43:27 AM PDT by Owen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: FatherofFive

There has never been a free market in insurance so get that idea out of your mind.

Let’s hear the supporters of the Lovers of Losers attack Poe as being a “sellout”, “joining the GOPe” and other such stupidities.

If one is not practical one is not a conservative just a crank.


95 posted on 04/02/2017 11:01:52 AM PDT by arrogantsob (Check out "CHAOS AND MAYHEM" at Amazon.com.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: John 3_19-21

What a load of crap no wonder Trump will campaign to defeat those who think like you.


96 posted on 04/02/2017 11:04:52 AM PDT by arrogantsob (Check out "CHAOS AND MAYHEM" at Amazon.com.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: dragnet2

Yup I get it....more so than the health care bill ...the travel ban goes directly to our security....to oppose that and be called a “Patriot” by the FC fans just doesn’t work for me. There is no way they can square that.


97 posted on 04/02/2017 11:08:30 AM PDT by MaxistheBest (...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: mewzilla

Good idea. Get elected to Congress and make that suggestion.


98 posted on 04/02/2017 11:09:47 AM PDT by guido911 (all)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: major-pelham

Yes. And yes again. Damned freedom cucks embarrassing Trump and the GOP. Thanks Meadows and others for Obamacare and planned parenthood funding, you greedy dbags.


99 posted on 04/02/2017 11:11:46 AM PDT by guido911 (all)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Guenevere

Took guts and principles to write that.


100 posted on 04/02/2017 11:12:34 AM PDT by guido911 (all)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-127 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson