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Rubio: “[I]f we pass a budget in September that funds ObamaCare, you did not do everything you could. You paid for this. You doubled down on it in ways that will have irreparable harm to our economy and to our country. This is our last best chance.”
Excerpt from U.S. Senate floor speech
Senator Marco Rubio
July 30, 2013
http://youtu.be/ZKG699i3nRw?t=6m25s
“We’ve got to stop this from moving forward. The implications of this law are already being felt. The regulations around this law, the mandates in this law, the fees and the costs and the new rate increases in this law, those are things you’re only going to start to feel that right now. In the next few months, you’re going to really start to feel what this law means to your life, to your business, to the place where you work. Now is the time to act. People ask me, ‘What can we do about it?’
“Let me tell you what is probably not going to work in the short term. You’re probably not going to get President Obama to sign a bill at that repeals ObamaCare. You’re not going to get the votes in the Senate to do that. So, these repeal votes – I’ll vote for every single one of them – but the problem is, our chances of getting that accomplished are probably minimal so long as President Obama is the President of the United States. So truly our last option is to stop paying for this thing.
“Why would we continue to pour billions and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into a disaster? Why would we double down with your hard-earned money on a program that’s going to hurt you? And we have a chance to do that in September, because in September, in order for the government to continue to function, we have to pass something called a short-term budget. I wish it was a permanent budget, but it is supposed to be a short-term budget. And all we’re saying is, in that short-term budget, fund the government. Keep the lights on. Pay the military. Make sure Social Security checks go out. The only thing you shouldn’t do is you should not fund and pay for ObamaCare.
“The pushback we get from that from some people is, ‘Well, that’s crazy, because that means you’re willing to shut down the government over ObamaCare.’ That’s not the way I see it. The way I see it is, if we pass a budget that pays for everything except for ObamaCare, and the President says he’ll veto that, it is he who wants to shut down the government. It is he who is basically saying, ‘I will shut down the government unless it pays for ObamaCare.’ And that is an unreasonable position. It is unreasonable because the law is so bad. His own allies are coming to him and saying, ‘Please stop this from moving forward.’ We’re going to give you a chance, Mr. President. By refusing to fund it.
“And here’s my last point to my colleagues in the Republican Party, who I know every single one of the Senate members here in the Republican Party are against ObamaCare, this is our last chance and our last best chance to do something about this. When this thing starts to kick in and starts to take root, it is going to be very difficult to undo major portions of this, despite the damage that it is going to create.
“Now, I only speak for myself, although I think I can speak for the other two senators that have joined me here today in this effort. I want to be able to go back to Florida, no matter how this thing turns out, and say to the men and women who sent me here in 2010 that I did everything that I could to keep from this happening to you. When someone comes to me and says, ‘I just got moved to part-time because of ObamaCare.’ I want to be able to look them in the eye and say, ‘I did everything I could.’ When someone says, ‘I just lost the insurance I was happy with. I now have this new insurance plan which I’m not that familiar with and my doctor, who I’ve had for 30 years, isn’t on that plan.’ I want to be able to say to them, ‘I did everything I could.’ When someone comes to me and says, ‘I have a pretty successful business. I set some money aside. I was going to open a new business or grow this one, but I’m not because of ObamaCare.’ I want to be able to say, ‘I did everything I could.’
“And if we pass a budget in September that funds ObamaCare, you did not do everything you could. You paid for this. You doubled down on it in ways that will have irreparable harm to our economy and to our country. This is our last best chance, and to those who say they’re against ObamaCare, and I believe you. But let me tell you something, if we are not willing to draw a line in the sand on this issue, then what issue are we willing to draw a line in the sand on? If we’re not going to go to the limit on this issue, then what issue is there? Is there is an issue that we are prepared to say that we will not move forward because of this? Is there an issue that we are willing to do everything we can and lay it all on the line? Is there such an issue? If it is not this one, which one is it? That’s the choice before us.
“I truly believe you cannot go back home and say you did everything could you to stop ObamaCare, if you vote for a budget that funds it.”