House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, right, joined by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Va., and other House GOP leaders, meets with reporters following a closed-door strategy session, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013. (AP)
In next year’s midterm elections, Republican candidates in every corner of this country can and should be on offense against their Democratic opponents on the issue of ObamaCare.
After all, during the debate over the health care bill four years ago, every single Republican stood unified against this monstrosity, while every single Democrat joined forces to ram the law through Congress against the will of the American people.
The bad news is that all the reasons I opposed ObamaCare four years ago, have now become reality.
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As I have previously stated to the American people, the health care law contains 18 new taxes, half a trillion in cuts to Medicare, less medical choices, fewer doctors, cancelled plans and higher premiums for individuals and businesses.
The good news is that for every action there is a reaction, and next year voters get a chance to hold Democratic supporters of ObamaCare accountable for their vote.
A federal takeover of our health care system, which represents roughly one-sixth of our entire economy, is bad for our country beyond hurting medical care. It also is paid for by higher taxes that is stifling job growth and hurting the economy.
As a Republican, I believe that solutions should come from the individual states and the people who live there. After all, what’s good for folks in Nashua may not work in Nashville or Naples.
Providing access to high-quality and affordable health care is a goal that all Americans of all political stripes share. But it’s clear now that it should be done at a state level, not from the federal government or Washington politicians.
The debate over the health care bill also allows us to re-frame the differences between the parties in broader terms.
After all, elections are fundamentally about contrasts between candidates and their visions for the future of our country.
ObamaCare represents the Democratic belief in big government and the notion that politicians and bureaucrats in Washington D.C. know what’s best for us and our families.
On the other hand, I believe that as Republicans we believe that our country’s greatness doesn’t come from government, but rather its people. We believe that sometimes government needs to get out of the way so that we can reach our true potential and achieve greatness.
We believe in more opportunities and a brighter future for our families by letting them keep more of their hard-earned money to spend as they see fit. We believe that our best days are ahead of us, and that if we work hard, we can achieve whatever set out to do.
It was these ideas that first drew me to the Republican Party as a young man who came from nothing.
Like many of you, I didn’t have it easy growing up. My mom and dad were both married and divorced four times each, and by my 18th birthday, I had moved to 17 different homes. We were on welfare for a stint, and I was often in trouble.
Heading off to college, I also knew that I wanted to provide a better life for my mom and my sister, and ultimately down the road, my own wife and kids. I also believed that the core principles of the Republican Party offered more upward economic mobility and more opportunities to chase my dreams.
I believe that If we articulate our fundamentals clearly, we will win elections in every corner of this country.
We have the better vision and ideas and solutions to make the lives better of every single American.
We can attract voters from all different backgrounds and walks of life, just like Republican principles drew in a struggling kid like me more than 30 years ago.
ObamaCare has given us the opening to make the case to the American people over the next 11 months. Now we need to go out there and seize the opportunity.
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