Senate Republicans are urging House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to oppose any funding bill this lame duck session that includes appropriations for a program written into the Affordable Care Act, reported ThinkProgress.
If Boehner follows through with the request of Senate Republicans, the actions could possibly start another government shutdown. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is leading the group of 14 lawmakers in the effort to get Boehner to potentially shut down the government for yet a second time since last October.
The provision of the ACA that these Republicans want to curtail is one designed to prevent increased premiums in the health care exchanges during the first three years of the ACA. The ultimate endgame of the provision was to maintain a stable insurance market and to keep premium fluctuation down to a minimum.
Republicans, naturally, are hiding behind the Constitution to cheaply justify their actions.
“The American people expect us, as Members of Congress, to fulfill our Oath of Office and defend the Constitution,” said the Senators in a letter written to Boehner. “Therefore, we must act to protect Congress’ power of the purse and prohibit the Obama administration from dispersing unlawful risk corridor payments providing for an Obamacare taxpayer bailout.”
The American People don’t want politicians to “defend the Constitution.” The Constitution is a great document indeed, but the American People want politicians to do what’s best for the American People.
ThinkProgress further noted that the Republican senators had no established plan that they thought Boehner should follow with their recommendation. They just said the Speaker should oppose it. According to Roll Call, some have recommended adding a block on risk-corridor spending. However, the White House would oppose that, creating another shutdown. However, the GOP knows this could happen and have no issue with holding the government hostage again it seems.
Republicans need to accept the fact that the ACA is law now. The party has tirelessly tried to appeal the law, but after over 50 attempts to do so they have failed. For the past four years, the GOP has wasted time and taxpayer money with the attempts to appeal the ACA to no avail. Time to quit and move on to something constructive.
