Representative Poliquin, whose vote this week against repealing Obamacare provoked backlash among grassroots conservatives, has worked to explain his controversial position.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives held its 56th vote to repeal Obamacare, which marked the first time any Republicans broke with Republican leadership on this issue. Poliquin, along with two other Republicans, voted against repealing the law.
In a Facebook post, Poliquin explained that while he strongly opposed Obamacare, he could not support its repeal without a viable, Republican alternative.
“I did not come to Congress to prolong the status quo,” said Poliquin. “If Congress fully repeals ObamaCare, it must be fully prepared to replace it with a free-market alternative that requires health care plans to cover pre-existing conditions and be portable for workers changing jobs.”
However, not everyone agreed with Poliquin’s reasoning.
John Tate, President of Campaign for Liberty, claimed that Poliquin had pledged in a campaign survey to “support and cast every vote for legislation that will repeal or defund ObamaCare?”
“How long will it take him to break his other campaign promises?” said Tate. “Campaign for Liberty will be sure to let the citizens of Maine know how little Congressman Poliquin thinks of the promises he made to them.”
Similarly, the Republican Liberty Caucus voted yesterday to rescind their endorsement of the Maine congressman. “We are both stunned and disappointed by Rep. Poliquin’s vote,” said Matt Nye, the caucus’ chairman.
In a video released yesterday, Poliquin announced his intention to maintain his opposition to Obamacare, while focusing on alternative solutions. Poliquin expressed tentative support for a Republican alternative to Obamacare, spearheaded by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) While not endorsing anything yet, Poliquin pointed to the proposal as an important step forward in replacing Obamacare.
“ObamaCare has demonstrated that government run health care drives up monthly premiums, co-pays, and deductibles while limiting the choice of doctors and hospitals to care for our families,” said Poliquin. “A free market alternative that ends the expensive ObamaCare mandates will help our small businesses grow and hire more workers.”
Congressman Bruce Poliquin, knowing obama will Veto any and all bills to repeal obamacare it would have been nice to see your vote to repeal this horrible law. I understand your reasoning, however most that voted for you are very disappointed and angry, shame on you
How about allowing people the freedom to make their own choices! During the 19th Century the government did not involve itself in economic affairs and the U.S. became the prosperous nation in the history of the World! Laissez-Faire Capitalism worked! Now it is vilified daily in the media. Cutting Federal government to `1/10th its current size would be a great start. At the Constitutional Convention the States DELEGATED to the Federal Government certain responsibilities, such as, Defense(Department of War) Treaty-making(Department of State) and coining common currency(Treasury). Federal Government was also given the power to resolve disputes between two or more parties(The Federal Court System). All other powers were reserved to the States and/or the People(The Tenth Amendment). The Federal Government has usurped all these other powers they claim to hold, i.e.the Power to Regulate and Tax businesses and individuals , Education, Welfare, Energy, Labor, etc. We do not need Elitist bureaucrats telling everyone how to live their lives. Society not Government is the true way to happiness and prosperity, not the redistribution of wealth.
It’s a horrible law but we must not repeal it until or unless we have something less horrible to replace it? I don’t find this convincing. Ambitious politicians understand the Cardinal Rule of Incumbency: You can always give; you can often deny; but you must never take away. Voters like Jeff Weinberger (below) always treat government goodies that come their way as an entitlement sanctioned by Moral Law.
Just like most politicians say whatever is necessary to win the election with no intention
it keep the promises he made to the people who elected him I’m saddened but not surprised
Good move Bruce! Throwing the baby out with the bathwater isn’t a good idea.
The perfect motivation to replace Obammmy care, would be to repeal it.
Very Disappointed in Bruce Poliquin.
Turncoat.
Turncoat!
Extremely disappointed. Too bad he’s bought into the idea that it NEEDS to be REPLACED with a viable option. Free market IS a VIABLE option.
So we voted in yet another RINO – guess my husband was right. You have really disappointed us, Mr. Poliquin!!! And, we won’t forget this!
Kudos to Bruce for making a controversial vote. This legislation was pure red-meat for the party; our legislators should be crafting policy for the sake of substance not symbolism. Bruce did not break a campaign promise as this bill would never “repeal or defund ObamaCare”.
Representative Tom Price, MD (R-GA) has introduced legislation (three times since 2009) which has a number of prominent co-sponsors…yet the House leadership has not brought the legislation forward for a vote. ObamaCare began its legislative journey in March, 2009 and was signed into law in March, 2010. Since the Republicans gained control of the House in 2010 there have been seven votes to repeal ObamaCare, about forty votes to ‘defund’ it, and zero votes to replace it with a viable private-sector plan. Only now, six years after the conception of Obamacare, is the House leadership discussing a replacement ‘framework’. Had they developed such a ‘framework’ in 2010 they could have secured a Senate majority in 2012, removed Harry Reid as an obstacle, and perhaps given Mitt Romney an additional 64 electoral votes.
We fume at the President’s use of symbolism over substance, yet quietly watch as Congress perfects political reaction and forsakes constitutional action. I hope that Bruce keeps his principled beliefs and moves forward to help craft *real* legislation that will rid us of ObamaCare and secure control of the White House in 2016.
Poliquin has taken a principled approach to trying to fix the Frankenstein of a law that Democrats created.
If the original intent of the law was to provide medical coverage for those who could not afford it, the simplest and most straightforward way to achieve that would have been to increase taxes to pay for direct medical bills. Instead, Dems resorted to subterfuge and outright lies to avoid having a debate on taxes and being embarrassed again as the tax and spend party.
So, we have a stealth tax increase in the form of higher insurance premiums and taxes assessed in a more camouflaged manner like on medical devices or sun tanning salons or “penalties” for not having insurance. It also includes more government bureaucracy, thousands of pages of new regulations that practically no one understands (including members of Congress,) and a new class of uninsured – those who can’t really afford insurance but make too much for a subsidy.
The law did absolutely nothing to add more doctors or nurses or medical facilities or anything else of any practical value. The only thing it did was to enrich the insurance industry.
Dems show a lot hypocrisy in their attacks on Poliquin when it was their own party’s unprincipled behavior that forced this monstrosity on us.
Bruce-ee voted this way to play ball with the establishment boys on the hill. He is a weasel. I will be talking about this soon in my editorials at the Brunswick Times Record.
Many of us knew of his disingenuousness prior to the election.
Let this be a lesson. Because one ahs an R before his or her name does not mean that they wont sell you out. Watch for people like Lepage and Senator Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Scott Walker. These are Conservatives that speak Constitutional Liberty and care not who lambastes them for it. If Mitt or Mitch McConnell or Johnny boy in the house are critical of a Republican then you know that that person is not a sell out. God Bless you. ET