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Title: NOT backing down: Freedom Caucus stands strong amid attacks from the president
Source:
Conservative Review
URL Source: https://www.conservativereview.com/ ... mid-attacks-from-the-president
Published: Mar 31, 2017
Author: Chris Pandolfo
Post Date: 2017-03-31 15:43:00 by Tooconservative
Keywords: None
Views: 3931
Comments: 28
Though the Freedom Caucus is under assault from all sides, some of its members who have spoken to the media or made public statements are standing strong — insisting that they are willing to work with President Trump to keep the GOP’s promise to repeal Obamacare. The media has used the failure of the American Health Care Act — Republican leadership’s phony repeal bill — as an excuse to attack conservatives in Congress. The Tea Party members of the Freedom Caucus, who opposed the legislation on grounds that it would not improve the American health insurance market, have been labeled “hardliners” who are unwilling to “compromise” or “get things done.” President Trump has expressed his frustration with the health insurance bill’s failure in a series of tweets, first suggesting that the Freedom Caucus saved Planned Parenthood funding and Obamacare, and later announcing that if conservatives don’t hop aboard the establishment Republican agenda they will be fought in 2018. “The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!” the president tweeted. Some members of the House Freedom Caucus are pushing back on President Donald Trump’s threat to “fight” conservatives in the 2018 midterm primary elections. "It didn't take long for the swamp to drain [Trump]. No shame, Mr. President. Almost everyone succumbs to the D.C. Establishment," Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) tweeted. — Justin Amash (@justinamash) March 30, 2017 Freedom Caucus ally Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) also joined in. — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 30, 2017 So did Rep. Labrador: Other Freedom Caucus conservatives are being less confrontational. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) reiterated his support for “actual repeal” of Obamacare, and said he shared the president’s “frustration” with recalcitrant Republicans in Washington D.C. — Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) March 30, 2017 "The Freedom Caucus is trying to change Washington. This bill keeps Washington the same, plain and simple," Rep. Jordan said on Fox News Thursday. "We appreciate the president; we are trying to help the president. But the fact is, you have to look at the legislation. It doesn't do what we told the voters we were going to do, and the American people understand that. That's why only 17 percent of the population supports this legislation." “We want to help the president get a bill that rises above 17% in the polling,” Congressman Dave Brat (R-Va.) told Conservative Review. He said the Freedom Caucus is looking for a bill that will lower premiums by repealing the insurance regulations and mandated health benefits that are driving up the cost of health insurance. Brat also criticized the mainstream media narrative that the Freedom Caucus sunk Obamacare repeal. “The narrative by the elites and the D.C. cronies and the mainstream media is that ‘we can’t get to yes.’” “On the facts that’s false,” Brat said. “We voted ‘yes’ 50 times for repeal. And the 2015 bill was unanimous, basically, with Republicans in the House and the Senate.” Rep. Brat argues that the Freedom Caucus has compromised from voting for that 2015 full repeal of Obamacare to nearly supporting the American Health Care Act, “kind of an Obamacare federal structure that maintains the basic architecture of Obamacare.” “The idea that we haven’t moved considerably is just laughable,” Brat said. Further, “it was clear to Leadership that more moderates were going to vote no if that bill came to the floor than the Freedom Caucus. But that narrative is not as convenient. Once that vote hit 22 ‘Noes’ it was going to go to 60 or 70, is the best estimate.” Why then are moderates like Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Il.) claiming the Freedom Caucus killed Obamacare repeal? “They’re just being politically shrewd,” Brat said. “The mainstream media, of course, goes along with that narrative that it's these conservative guys’ fault. It’s the usual D.C. narrative.” A narrative that President Trump has bought into. But Freedom Caucus conservatives aren’t the only ones making Brat’s point. Congressman Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) — who is not a member of the Freedom Caucus — told PJ media that “there were probably ten to fifteen members of the Freedom Caucus that were still a no.” However, Emmer estimated that there were “two-thirds to three-quarters of the Freedom Caucus [who] were yes on this bill.” A “vast majority.” This media narrative blaming the Freedom Caucus is “intentional,” Emmer said. Marginalizing conservatives is exactly what the moderate Republicans in the Tuesday Group have decided to do. Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), who was the first member of Congress to endorse President Trump, told reporters today that the Freedom Caucus no longer has a seat at the table for negotiations on legislation. — Daniel Newhauser (@dnewhauser) March 30, 2017 — Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) March 30, 2017 These moderate Republicans refused to go along with a full repeal of Obamacare, and now they are pledging to work with liberal Democrats to pass bad bills rather than use the Republican majority to pass conservative legislation. It’s compromise with Democrats. Screw the conservatives. Pass liberal legislation that will hurt people. And President Trump is fine with all of it. This is not what the conservative base in the Republican Party voted for in 2016. Then again, actually it is. The Tea Party took this risk when they handed Trump the Republican nomination in 2016. Donald Trump was never a conservative. He was never anti-establishment. Some conservatives knew that when they held their nose to beat Hillary Clinton. Well, the Democrats are out of power and conservatives are still losing. So where do we go from here? It didn't take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump. No shame, Mr. President. Almost everyone succumbs to the D.C. Establishment. https://t.co/9bDo8yzH7I .@realDonaldTrump it's a swamp not a hot tub. We both came here to drain it. #SwampCare polls 17%. Sad! https://t.co/4kjygV2tdS @realDonaldTrump Freedom Caucus stood with u when others ran. Remember who your real friends are. We're trying to help u succeed. — Raúl R. Labrador (@Raul_Labrador) March 30, 2017 I understand the President’s frustration. I share that frustration w/ a swamp refusing to repeal Obamacare. I am on board for actual repeal. Rep Chris Collins says Tuesday Group met last night agreed they won't meet or work w Freedom Caucus. "If that call comes in just hang up" Collins says HFC is trying to blame moderates on health care: "This is the Freedom Caucus looking for a scapegoat" https://t.co/hEkKixuNuO
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 16.
#3. To: Tooconservative (#0)
Louie Gohmert is a dick with ears...
Does that make any sense at all? Gohmert is a new Freedom Caucus member but he certainly is not shy. Gohmert is very popular in Texas and around the country with conservatives. There aren't all that many House members that are as well-known. Guys like Trey Gowdy and Steve King have a similar national profile within the party though they probably are both just a bit better known than Gohmert is.
… then why is he afraid of being shot if he holds a town hall meeting with his constituents? Over the past few weeks, one of the more intriguing political news stories has been the raucous town halls that Congressional Republicans have experienced back in their home districts. Cable news has been filled with scenes of House and Senate members being peppered with confrontational questions from constituents while overflow crowds cheer on questioners and jeer their representatives. With Democrats and liberals in even the reddest districts organizing to attend these town halls, some congresspeople are now taking to skipping these in-person meetings with their voters, preferring to arrange conference calls and Facebook Q&A’s. When pressed by a group of demonstrators earlier this week on why he hadn’t scheduled a public town hall, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) explained that his constituents already knew where he stood on issues like immigration and health care, so it was essentially pointless. I feel confident there are very few voters who pay attention in the 1st Congressional District of Texas who don’t know exactly where I stand on the issues and why — especially regarding the issue of Obamacare. In fact, in November, over a quarter of a million people were polled, and 73.9% said they agreed with me. I made clear for the last seven years that I would do all I could to repeal Obamacare. I was one of the few who read it before I voted. Gohmert then stated that it was a safety issue why he wasn’t holding a meeting with voters, specifically citing the shooting of a Congresswoman while also parroting a GOP/Trump Administration claim that many of these town hall attendees are paid protesters. Unfortunately, at this time there are groups from the more violent strains of the leftist ideology, some even being paid, who are preying on public town halls to wreak havoc and threaten public safety. Threats are nothing new to me and I have gotten my share as a felony judge. However, the House Sergeant at Arms advised us after former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot at a public appearance, that civilian attendees at Congressional public events stand the most chance of being harmed or killed — just as happened there. One Congressional friend had one of his district staff members knocked unconscious and hospitalized this past week after being overrun by a group intent on physical confrontation and disruption. In his statement, the Texas lawmaker would also note that he can reach more voters through telephone town hall meetings, highlighting that it makes it easier for the elderly and disabled to participate. He pointed out that he’ll eventually go back to having “civil town hall meetings” once the “threat of violence” subsides.
...then he'll get re-elected handily. Otherwise, he won't. I assume we will find out in November 2018. One senile old surgeon writing a blog for the Lefty mouthpiece, The Hill, does not turn an incumbent like Gohmert out of office, no matter how much you hope it will.
I cannot help but notice that you have a great propensity to act hateful and disrespectful towards your elders….I am quick to pick up on weird reactions by odd people. I am curious to learn the cause of your inclination to behave towards senior citizens in the particular insolent manner you do … Is this just a natural tendency for a libertarian….or is it because you hate your parents for some reason? Again, just curious …
It isn't hateful to point out that Will Rogers was dead when you were an infant and to ridicule the idea that he has any particular cultural relevance today. You might as well rant about Susan B. Anthony and Harry Houdini. I am not interested in joining your little Geezerville. Now go play some shuffleboard before your nap.
I was in no way referring to myself. I was merely pointing out that you referred to the doctor in Texas as one “senile old” surgeon when you don’t even know him or know anything about him. As far as the rest of your post, it is quite evident that I stuck a nerve. Wow, what some explosive reaction....you just had there! What was it … Was it that I mentioned your reactions towards older folks is “because you hate your parents for some reason?” Hmmm … And BTW…I have never played shuffleboard in my life, but it is nap time. So, toodle-loo … I fully realize that is an archaic American form of “goodbye.” But I am old fashioned in many ways….enjoyably so. Things were so much better during my generation. Argue against that …
#17. To: Gatlin (#16)
(Edited)
My parents are deceased. I got along with them pretty well overall. Like a lot of families, we did know what subjects to avoid. I doubt that. I'm old enough to remember quite a few of them. They were nothing special. In history, a generation that is special in any way is quite unusual. A good exception would be the Founders of the republic. Even they had plenty of faults. I don't generally admire sentimentality. I always think that others will remember the same exact things quite differently and with a very different perspective.
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#4. To: Willie Green (#3)
Louie Gohmert is a dick with ears...
#6. To: Tooconservative (#4)
(Edited)
Gohmert is very popular in Texas …
Hmmm … If Louis Gohmert is so “very popular” in Texas …
Rep. Louie Gohmert Invokes Gabby Giffords Getting Shot as Reason Not to Hold Town Hall. 
#12. To: Gatlin (#6)
If Louis Gohmert is so “very popular” in Texas …
#14. To: Tooconservative (#12)
One “senile old” surgeon …
#15. To: Gatlin (#14)
#16. To: Tooconservative (#15)
It isn't hateful to point out ...
Replies to Comment # 16. Was it that I mentioned your reactions towards older folks is “because you hate your parents for some reason?”
Things were so much better during my generation.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 16.
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