Health Care Fight

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is the continuing battle over Obamacare. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, but the U.S. Senate cannot seem to get the job done. The vote on the Senate bill has been postponed twice, and a vote to strictly repeal Obamacare is promised for this week. As reported by Conservative Review, the House Freedom Caucus has decided to force some action. 

The House Freedom Caucus has not abandoned the health care fight. In fact, it has declared all-out war on Obamacare.

On Wednesday, the conservative House members filed a motion to force a vote on the 2015 repeal bill the GOP-controlled Congress passed and sent to President Obama.

Congressman Tom Garrett, R-Va., a freshman representative, filed a special rule known as a “discharge petition” to begin the process of forcing a vote.

            Garrett said that he was sending a message to several individuals or groups, including the President, the House leadership, the Senate, and the Democrats. The message is that the House Freedom Caucus will support anyone who will work toward repealing Obamacare.

Every member of this body elected prior to last year’s election who has an “R” beside their name at some point voted on many of the dozens of occasions on which we passed a repeal…. Let me be clear on this: It’s not a full repeal and nothing. It’s a full repeal with two years … with a 24-month phase-out to find a replacement.

This is a message to House leadership that we support their best efforts and we want to work with them to continue to move the ball forward to do what we all said we wanted to do….

This is a message to the Senate that if they act as Leader McConnell has suggested that they act, we have their backs. We will be here. This is a message to the president of the United States that we haven’t abandoned the fight, nor have we relinquished our desire to fight for the promises we made.

            The repeal legislation in question “would repeal most of Obamacare,” but it requires the “signatures of 218 members of Congress.” By signing or refusing to sign the petition, each member of Congress will demonstrate their support or non-support to repealing Obamacare – and voters will take notice.

            Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) says, “We should put on President Trump’s desk what we put on President Obama’s desk. We should demand no less.”

            This writer agrees with Garrett and Meadows that Congress should pass the bill and put it on Trump’s desk. The in-fighting and non-support of Republicans is not acceptable. It is time to repeal Obamacare!