At least one Arizona Representative is determined to shut down government. Congressman Raul Grijalva told constituents last night, “Negotiations are not about putting a gun to my head and telling me I have to do it. Negotiations are about finding a middle ground. There’s a big difference between compromise and capitulation. Tonight is about capitulation. And Democrats are not going to do it.”
Arizona Representative Ron Barber said he “voted to keep the government from shutting down. A government shutdown would hurt the economies of Arizona and our nation. The American people deserve a government that can work together even when they disagree. This was not a perfect bill, but I voted for a reasonable solution to get things done. That’s why the people of Southern Arizona sent me to Congress.”
“Beginning tomorrow, under the Affordable Care Act, many Americans will begin purchasing health insurance for the first time,” continued Barber. “Giving them an extra year before charging them penalties is the right thing to do.”
Arizona Representative Paul Gosar said after the House of Representatives voted again to avoid a government shutdown and delay the Obamacare individual mandate for small businesses and individuals, that the action was to “promote fairness by repealing the Obamacare subsidy for Members of Congress and the President.”
“The House has the power of the purse and we ought to use it wisely and positively – that starts with keeping government open, delaying Obamacare, and not allowing special exemptions for Congress or the President. House Republicans have now offered three funding bills to avoid a government shutdown and protect American families, while Democrats refuse to negotiate and insist on protecting Obamacare. The Senate Majority leader should follow the House’s lead and act to prevent a government shutdown.”
Arizona’s Representative Matt Salmon said, “For the third time, House Republicans passed a bipartisan bill to fund the government and protect Americans from the ever-mounting and damaging effects of Obamacare. Once again, our bill keeps the government open, protects Americans from being forced into Obamacare and puts Members of Congress and the President into the healthcare exchanges they created.
“It seems that each day we hear about another delay or new exemption by the Obama Administration. This is not only unfair to the American taxpayer, but demonstrates this harmful law remains not ready for prime time.
“Senate Democrats continue to offer no solutions to this problem and choose to be the Party of NO. Make no mistake, Senate Democrats are threatening to shut down the government by failing to compromise with House Republicans. The moment of truth is upon them, and I call on Harry Reid to be responsible and immediately act to prevent a government shutdown.”
Arizona Representative Ann Kirkpatrick expressed concern for government employees in her district. She said, “Government shutdown is bad for the national economy and our local economy in Arizona. This may be a manufactured crisis, but it will hurt real people. I represent a mostly rural district with plenty of federal land and natural resources. So folks in District One are employed at our national parks and forests. They are workers at agencies like BLM and Interior. They staff our VA clinics and the Indian Health Service, and they are civil servants for the Defense Department. For the sake of working families everywhere, the House GOP needs to stop playing partisan games and pass a clean, stop gap bill.”
Arizona Representative Kyrsten Sinema joined Barber and the Republicans. “On Saturday evening, I voted against the House Republican amendment to delay the implementation of the Affordable Care Act,” said Sinema. “Tonight, I voted to ensure that families can still sign up for affordable healthcare plans without being punished for failing to purchase “adequate” healthcare coverage. It’s now been proven that too many states are not ready to implement the marketplaces. It’s not fair to punish people who don’t have the information they need to make informed decisions. Arizona’s hard-working families need transparency and certainty about this healthcare law and its implementation. A one-year delay of the individual mandate will ensure that Arizonans get that certainty.”