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Political Notebook: Hudson, Foxx vote to defund Obamacare

SALISBURY — U.S. Reps. Richard Hudson (NC-08) and Virginia Foxx (NC-05) helped a Republican majority House pass a provision to defund the Affordable Care Act on Friday.

The measure, H.J. Resolution 59, now moves to the Senate, where some critics say the provision is sure to be stripped out and sent back to the House.

But local congressional representatives took Friday’s 230-189 vote — largely by party lines — as a victory.

“Today we stood up for hardworking North Carolinians by shutting down Obamacare and keeping our government open to serve,” Hudson wrote in a statement. “Defunding an intrusive and expensive government takeover of health care that has and will continue to burden small businesses and families is critical if we are ever going to create more jobs in our communities.”

The resolution is intended to prevent a federal government shutdown and funds the government through December 2015.

U.S. Rep. Mel Watt (NC-12), a Democrat, was the only local congressional member to vote against the bill.

“I have stood by my commitment to my constituents to defund, delay, and dismantle the President’s unworkable health care law,” Hudson wrote, “and I look forward to my conservative colleagues in the Senate continuing this fight.”

Foxx called the new health care law a “train wreck,” but said her priority was keeping government open.

“Without question, I am focused on preventing a government shutdown. That’s why I voted with my House Republican colleagues today to pass a Continuing Resolution, in advance of the new fiscal year, that lays out how our government will be funded,” Foxx wrote in a statement.

Foxx said the health care law is unfair and hopes to see the Senate push the legislation through.

“Consistent with our conservative values, this legislation maintains current savings and also specifies that no taxpayer dollars should be wasted implementing the Obamacare train wreck. The American people, by and large, do not want the changes they see coming to their health care because of Obamacare. House Republicans agree and are united in firm opposition to the President’s unfair health law,” she wrote.