WASHINGTON – In spite of his previous warnings that a potential government shutdown wasn’t something that should be lightly walked into, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, announced on Thursday he has joined the push to leverage the threat of a shutdown to defund ObamaCare.
In a press release blasted out this afternoon, Sessions pledged his support for the Defund Obamacare Act of 2013 introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. If passed, it would deny federal funding for “any implementation or enforcement activities” of ObamaCare, end any entitlements or benefits already put in place by ObamaCare and rescind any unspent dollars that have already been appropriated.
“I have supported and will continue to support efforts to repeal, delay, defund, and block this unaffordable and invasive law,” Sessions said. “ObamaCare will not only make health care less affordable but will reduce the quality of health care and patient choice, increase unemployment, and surge the nation’s debt. The Defund ObamaCare Act is the latest effort to protect American families from this unwise government takeover.”
Up until this point, Session had not committed one way or another on using the budgetary process as leverage to attack the president’s healthcare law. But after hearing from constituents during a series of town hall meetings around the state over August and the early part of September, Sessions decided it was time to take a firm position.
Follow Jeff on Twitter @Jeff_Poor
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