House Freedom Caucus wins, ObamaCare "Repair" pulled

Prominent Freedom Caucus members who led the fight against the AHCA
L-R: Chairman Mark Meadows (NC), Justin Amash (MI), Thomas Massie (KY), Raul Labrador (ID), Jim Jordan (OH)

After a lot of drama and negotiations this week over the Affordable Health Care Act, U.S. House leadership pulled the bill and canceled a vote on the measure. The ObamaCare repeal replacement repair plan had taken heavy criticism from conservatives in both the House and Senate, but especially from members of the House Freedom Caucus.

Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL) of the Freedom Caucus called it “[O]ne of the worst bills I have seen in my 30 years as a county commissioner, legislator, district attorney and now congressman,”

After seven years of promising to "repeal and replace ObamaCare", Speaker Paul Ryan and President Trump came up with a lame excuse of a healthcare plan, with no full repeal, no full replacement, and essentially just tinkering around the edges.

Earlier in the week, it looked like the bill would pass, with a lot of strong-arming from leadership and pressure from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Even Oklahoma's Jim Bridenstine (a Freedom Caucus member) caved and lent his support late Wednesday night - although I imagine he might regret that decision now.

However, most Freedom Caucus members held firm in their opposition, and after the vote was postponed to today, then to this afternoon, other more moderate Republicans began to bail. Now, it appears that House Republicans may be moving on from healthcare reform altogether, rather than taking up the repeal bill passed with almost unanimous Republican support just last year that President Obama then vetoed.

From Allahpundit at HotAir: "So … that’s it? An ill-conceived two-month effort in the House falls short and Republicans throw in the towel on seven years of trying to replace ObamaCare? The White House doesn’t want to offer its own alternative? McConnell has nothing in the pipeline he might want to suggest?"

After the bill was pulled, President Trump told news reporter Robert Costa "No, I don’t [regret starting his agenda with healthcare], but in a way I’m glad I got it out of the way."

After posting that quote, Allahpundit continued: "You’re glad you “got it out of the way”? Republican voters handed them the House in 2010, the Senate in 2014, and the White House in 2016, and we got exactly 63 days of meaningful effort to unseat O-Care."

Here's what Erick Erickson said at TheResurgent about this:

The House Freedom Caucus just saved the Republican Party from itself and saved the United States from a Republican attempt to just do something on health care no matter how bad that something might be.

They stood on principle and are being assailed for it by the Republican establishment.

The legislation was deeply flawed and would have hurt a great many Americans. It would have made it harder for free market solutions to lower costs in health care and would have harmed senior citizens.

Obamacare is a terrible piece of legislation and Republicans promised for seven years to repeal it. The American Health Care Act embraced Obamacare and kept it. The House Freedom Caucus stood up both to the Republican leadership in Congress and President Trump and demanded promises made be promises kept. They also exposed Republicans as having no intention of ever really repealing Obamacare.

In 2015, Republicans passed a plan through Congress that would have repealed Obamacare. All the people who voted for it are still there. It passed the House and Senate. That should have been the starting framework. But like the dog that caught the car, Republicans did not know what to do once they finally had the House, Senate, and Presidency.

Their first reaction was to abandon their small government principles and free market beliefs to prop up a government run health care scheme. The only people who stood up for the free market and the people are members of the House Freedom Caucus. They are owed our thanks.

Lastly, I should note that the only reason we have a House Freedom Caucus is because John Boehner led an establishment coup of the Republican Study Committee. The once great organization converted into an organization that rubber stamps the agenda of leadership with elaborate kabuki theater to make it seem like the outcome was in jeopardy when it never was. Sadly, the RSC’s behavior in this proves the House Freedom Caucus is still needed.

Republicans need accountability partners, not yes men. Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan, and the House Freedom Caucus are brave to shoulder the weight of accountability when others wish they would serve as yes men. They have done well today.

Like I said earlier this month, Republicans were elected to power based on the promise of full repeal. We expect nothing less than full repeal. Republican member of Congress need to keep their promise, and pass full repeal of ObamaCare.

If they don't follow through, then what is the point in electing them?

ObamaCare: Nothing Less Than Full Repeal

U.S. House Republican leadership finally released their version of  ObamaCare "Repeal & Replace"....... complete with practically no Repeal, and more Repair than Replace.

President Trump is making it clear that he supports this plan. Vice President Pence, sadly, is out essentially telling House Republicans that the choice is either full-blown ObamaCare or this (which is ObamaCare Lite).

Republicans told us for seven years that if we gave them the House, they'd repeal ObamaCare. We did, and then they said "give us the Senate, and we'll repeal ObamaCare". We did, and then they said "give us the White House, and we'll repeal ObamaCare". We did, and now Republican leadership is balking.

In 2013, Mitch McConnell told CPAC attendees "Obamacare should be repealed root and branch." Paul Ryan and others repeatedly told us they would "Repeal and Replace" ObamaCare with conservative, free-market proposals. This strategy of simply amending portions of ObamaCare is not the answer.

Congress passed a repeal bill in 2015. There is no reason why they can't do it again. Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee, as well as members of the House Freedom Caucus, have re-introduced measures identical to that legislation.

This proposal is opposed by Heritage Action, Club For Growth, Americans For Prosperity, FreedomWorks, many members of the House Freedom Caucus (including Oklahoma's Jim Bridenstine), conservative Senators like Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul. Just about every trusted conservative organizations and member of congress is against this.

Republicans were elected to power based on the promise of full repeal. We expect nothing less than full repeal.

Keep your promise. Full repeal of ObamaCare.

Bridenstine comments on budget and Speaker votes

Congressman Jim Bridenstine on the House Speaker Vote
 
Congressman Bridenstine:  Today the GOP Conference nominated Rep. Paul Ryan for Speaker of the House, giving him 200 votes out of 245 cast.  43 Members, including me, voted for Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida.
 
Rep. Ryan is the Republican nominee, and I will vote for him on the floor of the House. I will work constructively with the new Speaker to advance sound legislation addressing the nation’s urgent needs, and I will also hold him accountable to lead House in responsibly performing its representational duties and advancing our national interests.

Congressman Jim Bridenstine Votes Against the Backroom Budget Deal

Congressman Bridenstine:  Today I voted against the “Bipartisan Budget Act.”  This massive bill was negotiated in secret and brought to Members who were given 41 hours to consider it.  No amendments were allowed and representation was denied to the American people.  It increased spending, increased annual deficits, and raised the debt limit.  I voted No.

2016 GOP Primary Madness, 'Elite Eight' results

The Elite Eight of our 2016 GOP Primary Madness has come to a close, and here are the results (with links for more details on the voting):

Division 'A'
1. Marco Rubio (36%) vs. 2. Rick Santorum (64%)

Division 'B'
1. Sarah Palin (62%) vs. 3. Michele Bachmann (38%)

Division 'C'
1. Rand Paul (56%) vs. 2. Paul Ryan (44%)

Division 'D'
1. Mike Huckabee (53%) vs. 3. Mike Pence (47%)

The closest matchup was in Division 'D', where Mike Huckabee received 52% to Mike Pence's 48%. This week, the Palin vs. Bachmann race got the most attention, with 412 votes cast. Rick Santorum's defeat of top-seed Marco Rubio makes him the only candidate in the Final Four who is not a No. 1 seed.

Voting in the Final Four round begins tomorrow morning, and will continue through Monday.

Rand Paul wins CPAC 2013 Straw Poll

The 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), hosted by the American Conservative Union, started Thursday, and concludes today. Preliminary results from the CPAC Straw Poll were just released.

1. Rand Paul - 25%
2. Marco Rubio - 23%
3. Rick Santorum - 8%
4. Chris Christie - 7%
5. Paul Ryan - 6%
6. Scott Walker - 5%
7. Benjamin Carson - 4%
8. Ted Cruz - 4%
9. Bobby Jindal - 3%
10. Sarah Palin - 3%
11. Other - 14%
12. Undecided - 1%

More details will be released about the straw poll later.

You can vote in the MuskogeePolitico.com Primary Madness at this link (currently in the Elite 8).

OKGOP hosting Vice Presidential Debate events in CD2

The Oklahoma Republican Party is hosting 2012 Vice Presidential Debate Community Forum events in the 2nd Congressional District on Thursday, October 11 in Claremore, Muskogee and McAlester, at 7 p.m. CST.  Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike are all welcome to come to these events. High school classes are encouraged to attend and participate, as well.

The format for the evening will include 2 panelists and a moderator for the event. Before the debate each location will be asked a series of questions and will record the audience responses. During the debate’s commercial breaks the moderator will ask for feedback. After the debate the audience will be asked a series of questions to record any change in opinion.

LOCATIONS:

CLAREMORE:
Wings To Go
2002 S Highway 66, Claremore, OK (map)

MUSKOGEE:
Buffalo Wild Wings
1130 W Shawnee St, Muskogee, OK (map)

McALESTER:
Eastern Oklahoma State College Auditorium
1802 E College Ave, McAlester, OK (map)

Romney Picks Paul Ryan for VP

Mitt Romney announced this morning that he was tapping Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate. Ryan, aged 42, is the current Chairman of the House Budget Committee. He is extremely sharp and articulate, and comes from a swing state that will be crucial in the November elections.

Ryan happens to have close ties to Oklahoma - his wife Janna is from the Madill area, and is Congressman Dan Boren's cousin.

GOP Pledge: Cut $100B? More like $35B

During the 2010 congressional campaign, Republican House leaders issued a Pledge to America, wherein the GOP leadership made pledges to make spending cuts, repeal ObamaCare, and make congressional reforms, among other things.

One of the most prominent pledges was "we will roll back government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, saving us at least $100 billion in the first year alone [emphasis mine]".

A lot was made about the House Republican's intent to cut at least $100B from the budget in their first year of control. However, it seems that this particular pledge won't actually come to fruition.

It seems that the House GOP leadership is planning on cutting $74 billion from the budget. That is, $74 billion from President Obama's 2011 budget proposal. As Erick Erickson said today on RedState.com, "There’s just one problem — the Democrats left power without ever passing Barack Obama’s budget. In other words, the GOP is cutting $74 billion from a budget that does not even exist." In actuality, the GOP leadership-proposed cuts amount to about $35 billion less than the 2010 budget.

"We're going to cut at least $100 billion. No, make that $74 billion. Actually.... $35 billion. What? Is something wrong? Pledge? What 'pledge'? Oh, 'at least $100 billion in the first year alone'? Well..... yeah, about that..."

Our fiscal situation is in a mess. Everyone agrees on that. It's a total and bipartisan wreck. We have to do something about it, something major. Halfhearted, hesitant nibbles won't cut it. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has found $350B in waste, fraud and duplication that could be eliminated. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has proposed $500B in cuts.

That's more like it. As Sen. Coburn has said, we have an apocalyptic fiscal crisis on our hands. Our national debt now stands at over $14,000,000,000,000.00 (14 trillion dollars). We stand on the brink. Now is not the time for hesitant indecision. Either we take the plunge into national fiscal ruin -- or we take the plunge and make the deep cuts necessary to balance our budget and pay down our debt as speedily as possible. There is no other option.

My hope is that the Congressional Republicans will finally get the message, and do the right thing for our nation, even though it is hard. It remains to see whether or not they will summon the courage to do so.