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Senators: “The only way to avert disaster is to fully repeal ObamaCare and start over with a more sensible, practical approach to reforming our healthcare system.”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and 11 of his Republican colleagues stated that they will not support a continuing resolution (CR) that funds further implementation or enforcement of ObamaCare in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

“We view the Obama Administration’s recent decision to delay ObamaCare’s employer mandate and eligibility verification for the individual exchanges as further proof the law is a failure that will inevitably hurt businesses, American families, and the economy,” wrote the senators. “In light of this admission, we believe the only way to avert disaster is to fully repeal ObamaCare and start over with a more sensible, practical approach to reforming our healthcare system.”

Signers of the letter include Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jim Risch (R-ID), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), David Vitter (R-LA), John Thune (R-SD), Jeff Chiesa (R-NJ), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

The full text of the letter is available below:

Dear Leader Reid:

We view the Obama Administration’s recent decision to delay ObamaCare’s employer mandate and eligibility verification for the individual exchanges as further proof the law is a failure that will inevitably hurt businesses, American families, and the economy.

In light of this admission, we believe the only way to avert disaster is to fully repeal ObamaCare and start over with a more sensible, practical approach to reforming our healthcare system.

However, if Democrats will not agree with Republicans that ObamaCare must be repealed, perhaps they can at least agree with the president that the law cannot be implemented as written.  If the administration will not enforce the law as written, then the American people should not be forced to fund it.

This is a matter not only of fiscal prudence, but of fundamental fairness as well. The president cannot seriously expect to waive ObamaCare’s onerous mandates on large businesses, while simultaneously forcing individuals and families to pay to implement an individual mandate the public has opposed since before the law was even passed.

For these reasons, we will not support any continuing resolution or appropriations legislation that funds further implementation or enforcement of ObamaCare.

Sincerely,

Sens. Lee, Rubio, Cruz, Risch, Paul, Inhofe, Vitter, Thune, Chiesa, Enzi, Fischer, and Grassley.