Obamacare is
so last year for Republicans. Now? Now it's all about abortion, because that's how you win national elections?
The shift has occurred both on Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In the most recent GOP presidential debate, abortion was a prominent talking point while candidates mentioned the Affordable Care Act only a handful of times. In Congress, Republicans are weighing shutting down the government on Oct. 1 in a bid to defund Planned Parenthood. And both chambers are voting on antiabortion bills this month amid a crush of other issues.
The GOP shift reflects a grudging acknowledgment that repealing the ACA won't happen as long as President Barack Obama is in office. "People are sick and tired of Obamacare," said Grace-Marie Turner, president of the Galen Institute, which wants to limit government involvement in health coverage. "Planned Parenthood is something new and fresh."
The issue might have changed, but the motivation and the tactics are the same. It's all about trying to defeat President Obama, and it's all about trying to "force" him to their will by taking hostages like debt ceilings and government shutdowns. So while there's just a few working days left before government funding runs out at the end of the month,
a third of the major legislation Congress is dealing with this week are about abortion.
That included a vote Tuesday morning in the Senate to bring an unconstitutional 20-week abortion ban to the floor. It failed to meet the 60 vote threshold, with a 54-42 vote. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) broke ranks with Republicans to vote against this "flawed" bill because it had no exceptions for the health of the mother.
Following the vote, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) promised more votes on abortion. To get those abortion votes in, he's threatened working over the weekend to get work done on the budget. Once they get through with their real priority—abortion.
Sign if you agree: Democrats must stand strong. No cuts to Planned Parenthood. No government shutdowns.