WASHINGTON – In a statement released by his office on Thursday, Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, said he would support efforts to defund ObamaCare through the budget process.
The “defund” strategy has been a point of contention among congressional Republicans, many of whom have expressed concerns with the possibility of a government shutdown. But Aderholt said in his statement yesterday that the presidents’ healthcare law poses too great a threat to the economy to allow it to go on unchallenged.
“I stand in strong support of a Continuing Resolution that defunds ObamaCare and offers the Senate and the Administration one more chance to finish our Appropriations bills in regular order,” Aderholt said. “ObamaCare is a train wreck. It’s bad for American families, it’s bad for small businesses, it’s bad for doctors and hospitals and it’s bad for our nation’s economy.”
The Alabama delegation remained on the sidelines of the defund debate throughout the month of August. Aderholt now joins Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, who last week voiced his support for the strategy.
“Congress has a real opportunity to stop this train wreck,” Aderholt continued. “The House has voted nearly 40 times to repeal, replace, dismantle or defund all or portions of ObamaCare. The House has done our job, it is time for the Senate to do theirs.”
Aderholt also pointed out that the House Joint Resolution he supports has a provision that would prioritize the payment of America’s debt, should the country bump up against the debt ceiling.
“H.J.Res. 59 adds a provision that would require the Treasury to make good on public debt payments,” he said. “This would ensure that the White House would not be able to play politics with benefits like Social Security and disability payments. As the clock ticks us days closer to the implementation of ObamaCare and the end of the fiscal year, we know the time to act is now. I hope my colleagues in the Senate will join me in doing what is right for the American people and support H.J.Res. 59.”
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