There are 233 Republicans in the House. Insiders estimate that three-quarters of them, or about 175 GOP lawmakers, are willing, and perhaps even eager, to vote for a continuing resolution that funds the government without pressing the Republican goal of defunding or delaying Obamacare.
On the other side, insiders estimate about 30 House Republicans believe strongly that Obamacare is such a far-reaching and harmful law that the GOP should do everything it can — everything — to stop it or slow it down. That includes precipitating a standoff leading to a government shutdown. "This isn't just another bill," Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., one of the most vocal of the 30, told me. "This isn't load limits on turnip trucks that we're talking about. This is … an extremely consequential bill that will impact every American, and that's why you have such passionate opinions."
Hate to break it to you, but it's not Barack Obama who won't negotiate – it's Michelle Bachmann and her 29 friends.
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Really it's not a Democrat or Republican thing. Washington is AFU.
Updated with an excerpt from the linked article.
Personally I do not care who is holding anything up. I think we should get the right to use a waiver just like them. Don't force me to do anything, thanks.
It's curious to me the difference in opinion that THE EXACT SAME PERSON will espouse when asked if they support Obamacare versus when they are asked if they support the Affordable Care Act.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/some-americans-say-they-support-the-affordable-care-act-but-not-obamacare/280165/
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/30/175791319/three-years-on-states-still-struggle-with-health-care-law-messaging
I'm on a roll, now… +Richard Steinbicker =)
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/the-two-basic-facts-that-should-be-in-every-shutdown-story/280179/
1) If the House of Representatives voted on a "clean" budget bill — one that opened up the closed federal offices but did not attempt to defund the Obama health care program — that bill would pass, and the shutdown would be over. Nearly all Democrats would vote for it, as would enough Republicans to end the shutdown and its related damage. (And of course it would pass has already passed the Senate, repeatedly, unless the minority dared filibuster it, and would be signed by the president.) For illustrations of the wanton damage, see here and here.
2) So far House Speaker John Boehner has refused to let this vote occur. His Tea Party contingent knows how the vote would go and therefore does not want it to happen; and such is Boehner's fear of them, and fear for his job as Speaker, that he will not let it take place.
These two points are why the normal D.C.-poohbah moanings about the need for compromise do not apply. The Democratic administration, and a sufficient number of Republicans, already agree and are ready enough to compromise to solve this problem. If the normal machinery of democracy were allowed to work, the manufactured crisis would be over. The only reason the senseless damage is being done is that hostage-takers have terrorized members of their own party.
Everyone will see what happens to healthcare when this get's rolling. I have seen what it has been brewing first hand for the last 5 years leading up to this.
All I can hope is that some people actually get the help that they could not get before.
Relevant to you +Jonathon Barton
http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/10/03/cruz-crumbles/?hpid=z6