by Matt Kibbe FreedomWorks.org Wednesday, January 19th
As its first major act, the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives voted today on a bill promising the complete repeal of Obamacare. The bill passed with a unanimous Republican vote along with the support of 3 House Democrats, proving that the demand to repeal Obamacare is a real, bipartisan fight that will lead to a serious debate in the Senate.
While many have tried to downplay the vote as merely symbolic, it is far more important than that: repeal is real. I believe that repeal is achievable, and in fact likely, because the American people want and expect it. The new class of Republicans campaigned on repeal in this election, and we intend to hold each and every one of them accountable to their own promises.
From here, we need to keep in mind that while this is the first giant step in the right direction, this fight is far from over. From here we must continue to build momentum and push Harry Reid to bring it to a vote in the Senate. Ultimately, we will push forward until this is on the desk of President Obama.
This is unprecedented and historic. For the first time ever, a house of Congress has voted on a bipartisan basis to repeal a major social welfare entitlement program. It’s also a huge victory for the tea party movement and the Contract From America. This vote would never have happened without the tea party. This victory creates huge momentum for repeal.
You can help us take this fight to the next level. First, be sure to thank your representative if he voted Yes on the repeal bill. This is how we keep them on the right track. If your Representative voted the wrong way, let him know (in a polite way, devoid of “violent rhetoric”) of your disappointment with his vote.
From here, the ball is now in the Senate’s court. Call and write your Senators, and tell them you want Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule a debate and vote on the House-passed repeal bill as soon as possible.
For further commentary, listen to FreedomWorks VP of Public Policy Dean Clancy’s response to today’s proceedings, and where we can go from here: Click for podcast!
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Cut Government and Be Bold
We wanted to make sure you knew that we are driving the debate-naming the programs and citing the figures necessary to reduce the size of government. The op-ed I co-authored with FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey on "What Congress Should Cut" ran today in the Wall Street Journal.
We're hoping that being bold will inspire this new Republican majority to do the same. Chairman Armey's piece in yesterday's POLITICO lays out how this majority should focus on adhering to the Constitution, reminding conservatives who might be timid that "when we act like us, we win; when we act like them, we lose."
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