The Republican-waged battle against Obamacare continued earlier this week as a Utah Senator took to the senate floor.
In a senate meeting Tuesday, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) encouraged his fellow senators to vote to end funding to Obamacare. “De-fund it or own it. If you fund it, you’re for it,” he said.
Early in July, President Obama announced the year-long postponement of the implementation of some of the Affordable Care Act’s requirements. One of the postponed requirements is that employers with more than 50 full-time workers must offer insurance of minimally acceptable quality or face fines. Obama claimed that businesses were not ready to start filing the information about the insurance plans they offer.
Senator Lee and others said they believe this action will increase costs for individuals who will still need to purchase insurance, but without the help of their employers. Lee said, “What the president did was acknowledge that this law is not ready for prime time. He’s going to implement and enforce it selectively holding hardworking Americans, individuals and families to the fire while throwing a big bone to big business.”
Critics of Senator Lee’s actions said they believe cutting the funding for the federal government will not stop the bill’s implementation, because once funding returns, it will come into effect.
Many who disagree with the Obama Administration’s decision to delay funding said they do not support the measure by Lee to discontinue funding, likening it to a temper tantrum.
Lee said he plans to continue his de-funding campaign until the congressional vote for federal funding later this year.
Taylor Halversen is a senior at Utah State University, majoring in Communication Studies and Liberal Arts. She's from Sandy, Utah and is interested in discovering new and random things to try and attempting to live life wholly and healthily. She loves music and climbing anything from trees to mountains.
