Sep 27 2013

Graham Votes to Defund Obamacare

"Today, I proudly voted to defund Obamacare....."

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on his vote to defund Obamacare.

The amendment to remove the Defund Obamacare provision, which passed the House, was defeated by the Democrat-controlled Senate by a straight party-line vote of 44-54. All Senate Republicans supported the measure to Defund Obamacare while all Senate Democrat voted in opposition.

Graham said:

"Today, I proudly voted to defund Obamacare, and I am proud that every Senate Republican has united in support of the House-passed defund Obamacare provision. I only wish that more Senate Democrats, many of whom were responsible for Obamacare's passage into law, would have voted with us.

"With Democrats in control of the Senate, we needed Democrats to join with the American people who want Obamacare stopped in its tracks. Based upon the Democrats unanimous votes in support of funding Obamacare, they must not have gotten the message.

"I fought and voted against Obamacare in 2010. Since then, I have tried to stop the law's implementation any way I can:

  • Supported ending the special exemption for Congress from Obamacare;
  • Supported ending the special exemption for President Obama from Obamacare;
  • Authored legislation to allow states to opt-out of Obamacare;
  • Cosponsored legislation to repeal Obamacare;
  • Cosponsored legislation to prohibit the funding of Obamacare;
  • Cosponsored legislation which defunds the IRS' implementation of Obamacare;
  • Cosponsored a bill to repeal the individual mandate in Obamacare;
  • Sent a letter with my Republican colleagues requesting the Obama Administration grant relief to all Americans by delaying implementation of Obamacare so Congress can adopt common-sense reforms; and
  • Offered an amendment to defund implementation of the individual and employer mandates required under Obamacare.

"Obamacare is, has been, and will remain a financial disaster for our nation."

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