Lee: Shutdown Behavior 'Best Argument Against Obamacare Anyone has Ever Made'

One of the main proponents of holding up the continuing resolution in order to push a defunding of Obamacare said the first week of the shutdown has proved his case.

“The Obama Administration’s behavior during the first week of the shutdown has been the best argument against Obamacare anyone has ever made,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

“The American people do not want Obamacare, and they are demanding that Washington act to protect them from the harmful effects of this unfortunate law.  The president’s response has been to ignore them, allow the government to shutdown, and then use his power to close national parks and monuments, stop paying veterans’ benefits, and cut off cancer research,” he continued. “This is exactly why we should not expand the government’s power over our health care choices.  What power the government has, it will use – and misuse – to advance its own interests, even if that means punishing the American people along the way.”

Lee compared the message sent by the shutdown to that sent by the IRS scandal: “Do what I say or else.”

“President Obama is not just using the vast powers of his office as leverage against Republicans – he is abusing his powers as leverage against the American people,” the senator said.

“The scenes of World War II veterans being shut out of a monument built in their honor should be a bright red flag warning the American people what an out-of-control federal government is capable of. Each day brings a new and more vivid example of why it is critical that we not allow Washington to reach even further into our most personal and intimate decisions,” he added.

“We now see how determined the president is to expand the power of the federal government and his willingness to use that power to harm the country to get what he wants. Congress cannot allow this to stand and should continue to work to end the shut down and protect the American people from Obamacare.”