Cruz: Let's repeal ‘every bloody word' of Obamacare
Washington (CNN) – Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday forcefully argued that Obamacare is not here to stay and pledged that he would continue working to dismantle the health care law in 2014 and 2016.
“I think those elections should be about many, many things,” the Texas Republican said, listing jobs and growth as examples. “But they should be about repealing every bloody word of Obamacare.”
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His remarks came in an address at a Washington conference hosted by the conservative group, Young America's Foundation.
Cruz was a key player in last year’s fight against the law and pushed his colleagues in Congress to try to defund Obamacare ahead of a looming spending deadline. The debate between Republicans and Democrats on the issue eventually resulted in a 16-day government shutdown.
Obamacare continued to roll out on January 1 of this year, despite some major hiccups with its website and some of its key provisions being delayed.
Cruz, who’s considering a presidential campaign, said the opposition he helped lead last year set in motion an effort that will eventually bring the law down.
“Some battles you can win with one clean rifle shot; other battles take time, take building that foundation,” he said. “I’m convinced that fight has laid the foundation.”
A CNN/ORC International Poll released last week indicated that more than half the public believes Obamacare has helped either their families or others across the country, although less than one in five Americans say they have personally benefited from the Affordable Care Act.
Cruz stressed that he’s “working very, very hard to win Senate seats and retire Harry Reid.”
He told the audience that it’s also up to the public to express their discontent with the law.
“If we’re going to repeal Obamacare and I’m convinced we’re going to…it’s going to come from the people saying ‘this thing isn’t working’,” he said.
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It's going to be 4 more years of a democrat in office if this guy runs.
Ted Cruz is a brilliant patriot who is the total antithesis of this president. Thank God he's there in the middle of the filth trying to fight for our rights as Americans.
Go back to Canada, Ted. You are bent on taking away affordable healthcare and replacing it with nothing. I have seen people lose their lives over simple maladies that went untreated. They racked up huge medical bills for end stage treatment and died from complications because their once treatable condition became unmanageable.
Ted Cruz and everyone who wants to take away affordable healthcare will end up costing people their lives.
His answer to irrelevance is to double down on it. His answer to ignorance is to embrace it. His answer to any crisis is to exploit it for political opportunity. We need fewer like him in Washington, not more. We need more people who are positive, constructive members of "team America"...not divisive acid-spewing fear mongers. We need people who genuinely care about their ordinary constituents back home...more than their own political "career."
We will take back Justin Bieber. We will take back Celine Dion. But there is no way we are taking back Cruz.
He looks sorta like Bill Murray in Caddy Shack, married rich, and hates the 99% & seems to hope we will all get sick and DIE. Too bad, the voters are going to rise up & kick some GOP butt this year!
Ok welll ... he's mastered the art of the tantrum.
I wish they'd worry about fixing laws that are causing jobs to leave the country, laws state or otherwise that are discriminating and dehumanizing, and repairing laws that are close but not ready for primetime but are out there anyway. I'm really tired of hearing politicians trying to repeal laws they disagree with but were somewhat needed anyway. How about doing their jobs and fixing those laws to be more balanced?
The GOP hate Obama who was born in Hawaii... yet love Cruz who was born in Canada, and whose dad is from Cuba. I wonder if they are hypocrites much?
Just can not stand to see this guy's words in print. See, where I am I can't hear him, and that is great. Must rational people be subjected to his words being repeated online?
As a citizen of Canada, you caught him, you keep him. He's renounced any ties to Canada and has no option to return here.
Oh, I see the birther's are out in force...hey richard head, insured does not mean healthcare. Obamacare remains a financial funding disaster but then again only to the taxpayer so why would you idiots be concerned?
I LOVE this guy. He is singlehandedly doing more for the Democratic party than any other political figure I can think of. Keep up the great work Ted. Hilary in 2016!
Health insurance premium went thru the roof, now I have a $10k deductible (no way I can pay that), I can’t go to my regular Doctor, I can’t go to my regular hospital, I can’t go to the top Cancer Center in America. The company I work for laid off most everyone and is shutting down and moving its operations to Korea. I was offered a part time job stating 2 months from now, no insurance, no retirement, 29 hours a week.
I thought he was Canadian, but he's using Brit words now.
And replace it with WHAT?
Ted, offer a solution to the broken privatized health care system, otherwise shut your pie hole.
These TBGers are dumber than a fence post....
• 2.3% Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers 2014, (added as tax & passed on to consumers)
• 10% Tax on Indoor Tanning Services 2014
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield Tax Hike
• Excise Tax on Charitable Hospitals
• Tax on Brand Name Drugs (ACA plans only pays for generic brands, some medications do not have a Generic brand)
• Tax on Health Insurers (Insurance Companies are passing this tax on to the consumer)
• Elimination of tax deduction for employer-provided retirement Rx drug coverage in coordination with Medicare Part D
• Employer Mandate on business with over 50 full-time equivalent employees to provide health insurance to full-time employees. $2000 per employee $3000 if employee uses tax credits to buy insurance on the exchange (marketplace). (Pushed back till after 2015 elections)
• Medicare Tax on Investment Income 3.8% (all investments will be taxed an additional 3.8%)
• Medicare Part A Tax increase of 9% (elderly, disabled and anyone one on Medicare will pay the additional tax.
• 40% Excise Tax "Cadillac" on high-end Premium Health Insurance Plans, if you buy the best coverage you pay a 40% tax on it starting 2018.
• An annual $63 fee on all plans to help pay for insurance companies covering the costs of high-risk pools.
• Medicine Cabinet Tax, Over the counter medicines like bandaids, asprin
• Additional Tax on HSA/MSA Distributions
Health savings account or an Archer medical savings account, penalties for spending money on non-IPAB approveed medical test, treatments & procedures. 10% to 20% in the case of a HSA and from 15% to 20% in the case of a MSA. - (IPAB)Independent Payment Advisory Board (IRS cost cutting aproval board)
• Flexible Spending Account Cap 2013 Contributions to FSAs are reduced to $2,500 from $5,000.
• Medical Deduction Threshold tax increase 2013, Threshold to deduct medical expenses as an itemized deduction increases to 10% from 7.5%.
• Individual Mandate 2014, Delayed till after 2015 elections, anyone not buying "qualifying" health insurance must pay an income tax surtax at a rate of 1% or $95 (whichever is higher) in 2015 to 2.5% in 2016 on profitable income above the tax threshold.
If he was a private citizen fending for his own instead of getting government healthcare, he'd whistle a different tune. What a jerk
Yes, lets remove access to health insurance for 10m Americans.
Only a creep, who doesn't care about anyone or anything beside his own political ambition, would want to deprive millions of Americans access to the healthcare they need. Go back to Cuba, "Ted"!
• All insurance companies participating in the ACA will be reimbursed any loses due to participating in ACA. (imaging your company getting paid by the Government for losing money) Rich insurance companies getting richer.
Go back to Cuba and take your father with you!
No, no, please keep this idiot in America. He was on Canada's healthcare till recently. He is the biggest baffoon in America. I am a proud Canadian, and would not like this simple-minded to come back here.