Cruz: ‘We’ve got 62 days’ to defund ObamaCare

The Republican senators have launched a campaign to encourage GOP opposition to any 2014 spending bill that includes funds for ObamaCare. Congress is expected to need a short-term spending deal by Oct. 1 in order to keep the government funded. Some Republicans have criticized the three senators for risking a government shutdown to make a political point.

{mosads}“We are standing together and saying this isn’t working and Congress should defund it,” Cruz said. “We have a chance to successfully defund ObamaCare, but today we do not have the votes. But we’ve got 62 days until Sept. 30.”

The senators said they didn’t want a government shutdown, they want a government spending bill that funds everything but ObamaCare. They said then it would be Obama’s fault if the government shuts down if he vetoed the spending bill.

“We’ve got to stop this from moving forward,” Rubio said. “Why would we double-down with your hard earned money on something that would hurt you.”

Rubio argued the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, is harming the middle class most because of the employer mandate, which requires businesses with more than 50 full-time employees to provide health insurance or face a penalty fee. Republicans have said this mandate is resulting in reduced hours and a freeze in hiring by most businesses.

“This law makes is harder for people to create jobs and it’s going to make it harder on the middle class,” Rubio said. “I truly believe you cannot say you did everything you could to stop ObamaCare if you vote for a spending bill that funds it.”

Rubio criticized the administration for “canceling parts of this bill on a whim.” Earlier this month, Obama announced that he would delay the employer mandate for one year, until 2015.

Lee said if big businesses get a break from ObamaCare, so should individuals and families who will have to buy coverage under the individual mandate or pay a tax.

“Hard working individuals will have to comply, but big businesses won’t,” Lee said. “You’ve got big businesses being thrown a big bone — this is not fair. … The American people deserve not to have this law implemented and enforced if  — as the president told us — it’s not ready for prime time.”