House Votes to Cut Funding to ObamaCare Programs

Press Release

This week, the US House of Representatives voted to cut two spending provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare. H.R. 1213 repeals Section 1311(a) of the health care law, which established an unlimited slush-fund for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to set up state-based health insurance exchanges without any further Congressional approval or appropriations. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), this bill alone would reduce direct federal spending by an estimated $14.6 billion over the next ten years. H.R. 1214 repeals Section 4101(a), which directed $200 million in mandatory spending for the construction of school-based health centers. Between the so-called stimulus bill passed in early 2009 and other portions of the health care law, the federal government has already appropriated $3 billion for health center construction. In addition, ObamaCare does not provide for funding for staff for these centers or for the actual health care services themselves. The CBO estimates this legislation will decrease direct federal spending by $100 million. Congressman Westmoreland supported both pieces of legislation. Below is his statement.

"I know many of you have grown weary with how long it is taking Republicans to repeal the job-killing ObamaCare law. I have also become frustrated with how long this process has taken. However, I have to remind myself that while Republicans were able to take back the House after the 2010 elections and we saw gains in the Senate and in state and local races across the country, we still only control one half of one third of the federal government. Senate Democrats and the White House are doing everything they can to stop us from doing the work of the American people and repealing this harmful law.

"One way to thwart their stalling is with smaller bills, like these, that allow us to defund certain portions of ObamaCare. Through small victories like these that eat away at the foundation of the law while also cutting billions and billions of wasteful federal spending, we will eventually be able to eradicate ObamaCare once and for all," stated Westmoreland.

Source