Texas Republican Ted Poe Quits Freedom Caucus Over Their #NeverTrump Intransigence…

[Chosen Daughter]

'They'd vote no against the Ten Commandments': GOP congressman resigns from conservative group

Maxwell Tani

Rep. Toe Poe explained on Monday why he resigned from the House Freedom Caucus, a group of hardline conservative lawmakers who helped block President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan's healthcare bill.

Poe said on CNN's "New Day" that the conservative caucus "continues to be the opposition caucus against anything in the Republican party."

The Texas congressman argued that while Republican leadership attempted to ignore the concerns of its most conservative members in the past, members were key players in the negotiation of the American Healthcare Act.

"There's nothing that could be added to the bill that the Freedom Caucus would ever vote yes on," Poe said. "I got the opinion that there are some members of the Freedom Caucus — they'd vote no against the Ten Commandments if it came up for a vote."

Poe claimed that although it was "not a perfect bill," Republicans "promised for years" that they would repeal President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act should they hold the White House.

"We voted 60 times to repeal Obamacare. Then when it came down to repealing it, when it actually counted, people said 'Nah, I'm not going to vote to repeal the bill,'" Poe said.

<..snip..>

http://www.businessinsider.com/ted-poe-explains-why-quit-house-freedom-caucus-2017-3

Trumps party is far from what I know as Republican.  It a whole different beast of praise and worship to the Donald.

[Jazzhead]

@Jazzhead

Nonsense.  I know thats in the talking points you've been given but there's a lot more than that wrong with Obamacare.

Of course there's a lot wrong with the ACA.   But conservative extremists have effectively partnered with the Dems to keep it.  Trump needs to find a coalition that can fix it.   It will have to be a centrist coalition. 

[Jazzhead]

Poe said on CNN's "New Day" that the conservative caucus "continues to be the opposition caucus against anything in the Republican party."

The Texas congressman argued that while Republican leadership attempted to ignore the concerns of its most conservative members in the past, members were key players in the negotiation of the American Healthcare Act.

"There's nothing that could be added to the bill that the Freedom Caucus would ever vote yes on," Poe said. "I got the opinion that there are some members of the Freedom Caucus — they'd vote no against the Ten Commandments if it came up for a vote."

Right on, Rep. Poe!    The FC cares more about ginning up anger and resentment among the talk radio set (you know, the folks who don't work during the day),  than doing the peoples' business.   

[driftdiver]

Of course there's a lot wrong with the ACA.   But conservative extremists have effectively partnered with the Dems to keep it.  Trump needs to find a coalition that can fix it.   It will have to be a centrist coalition.

@Jazzhead

Which is it comrade?   The mandates or the whole thing.  You can't seem to make up your own mind, or should I say your handlers cant.   Conservative extremists.  LOL   man you are using every phrase in your mouthpiece code book aren't you.

This bill was ACA lite.     Pass the ACA repeal act thats in committee.     

[cato potatoe]

ACA will remain the law of the land for the foreseeable future.    Get used to it.     

The Freedom Caucus is not going to panic just because Trump set an arbitrary deadline.  They know he won't mosey into 2020 with Obamacare in a death spiral.  Four vacant House seats are set to be filled over the next few months.  If Ryan is worth a darn, he will work with the expanded majority to get a bill past the House, and let McConnell take the heat for watering it down.

[Smokin Joe]

Of course there's a lot wrong with the ACA.   But conservative extremists have effectively partnered with the Dems to keep it.  Trump needs to find a coalition that can fix it.   It will have to be a centrist coalition.

You people have been trying to lump Conservatives in with the Democrats from the first tweet out of Trump, and the first Conservative who said he wasn't one of us. 
Give that tedious crap a rest.

It is as tired as the canard about "If you don't support A you support B", when more accurately, you just might not think either is worth a plugged nickel.
It is such a transparently ridiculous argument a fifth grader would be embarrassed to resort to it in a debate.
If you need new writers for talking points, bite the bullet and hire some, willya?
Not partnering with the Liberals in the GOP is not partnering with the even more liberal liberals in the Democrat Party.
The only reason Conservatives seem to be "extremists" to the Liberal Republicans is because the "mainstream" RINO herd is way out in Left field, across the foul line.

[Smokin Joe]

Right on, Rep. Poe!    The FC cares more about ginning up anger and resentment among the talk radio set (you know, the folks who don't work during the day),  than doing the peoples' business.

So how's your workday going since Air America shut down? Do you get paid by the post, the word, the column inch or what?

[XenaLee]

Trusted? Who in the hell do you think they work for? Ryan? (NOPE) Trump? (Guess again!) They work for their constituents. What coalition? If the RINOs and The Democrats want to link up and Trump wants to sign off on that, it just proves what many of us have thought of Trump and the RINOs from day one.

Rush is talking about this right now.  Positing that some say Trump didn't know (or care) what was in the bill.  Since Trump is on record as being pro-single-payer, I'd have to say that he knew what was in it and is playing that multi-dimensional chess he's so famous for playing (according to Trumpists here).  Single-payer is the ultimate goal here, no matter what crap legislation gets "passed".

[Hoodat]

Right on, Rep. Poe!    The FC cares more about ginning up anger and resentment among the talk radio set (you know, the folks who don't work during the day),  than doing the peoples' business.

The people's business?  Does Bill Clinton know you stole his talking points?

Btw, these Reps are doing exactly what their constituents elected them to do.

Try introducing a bill that actually gets rid of the mandates, and Freedom Caucus members will vote for it.

[Jazzhead]

The people's business?  Does Bill Clinton know you stole his talking points?

Btw, these Reps are doing exactly what their constituents elected them to do.

Try introducing a bill that actually gets rid of the mandates, and Freedom Caucus members will vote for it.

The AHCA did get rid of both the employer and individual mandates.   But the Freedom Caucus couldn't take yes for an answer.

It also - for the first time ever - would have converted an open-ended federal entitlement program into a fixed set of block grants to the states.   That Medicaid reform was the true conservative reform at the heart of the AHCA.  But the Freedom Caucus couldn't take yes for an answer.   

Rep. Poe is right to disassociate himself from these idiots.   

[txradioguy]

Not surprising Poe left...he's scores a 77 on the Conservative Review Conservative Scorecard.

[txradioguy]

Rep. Poe is right to disassociate himself from these idiots.

Poe is only slightly more Consersavative than you.  Which means neither one of you are.

[GrouchoTex]

Poe is making a mistake here.
This wasn't a repeal bill.
It left far to much of health insurance under government control.
When was the last time you saw a law "repealed" that had the basic framework and rules still intact?
Slavery? No.
Prohibition? No.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

The AHCA did get rid of both the employer and individual mandates.   It also - for the first time ever - would have converted an open-ended federal entitlement program into a fixed set of block grants to the states.   That Medicaid reform was the true conservative reform at the heart of the AHCA. 

That is all completely true, and isn't just "nibbling at the edges" of ObamaCare as some have said.   It's a first step, but a significant one.  And certainly better than what we have sitting here today.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Send your bill to the Freedom Caucus - the mandates would be gone if not for those fools.

that is an outright lie.

Many more Democrats blocked the bill than the Freedom Caucus.

[Jazzhead]

That is all completely true, and isn't just "nibbling at the edges" of ObamaCare as some have said.   It's a first step, but a significant one.  And certainly better than what we have sitting here today.

It was a historically important first step - one that hasn't been accomplished with any large federal entitlement program to date.   These programs acquire constituencies that are politically impossible to break.  But the ACHA's block grants to the states would have, if successful, created the model and precedent for unwinding the federal leviathan.   

But it wasn't good enough for the Freedom Caucus  -  its stubbornness in refusing to go along with party leadership has set back the cause of free markets.  The blow may or may not be fatal.  But with conservatives unwilling to join a coalition of the willing,  the temptation will indeed be great to move toward single payer.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

that is an outright lie.

Many more Democrats blocked the bill than the Freedom Caucus.

But nobody expects Democrats to vote for bills that end individual and business taxes, convert an entitlement program to a block grant, and reduce federal spending on health care by hundreds of billions of dollars.  People do expect conservatives to support such things.

Maybe the FC is simply playing a bit of poker here, and trying a bluff to ensure they get the most conservative bill possible before voting for it.  So maybe they come back to the table, work out something with the moderates, and a bill gets pushed through.  But if they're really going to hold out for "full repeal or nothing", then it's going to be nothing, and the cause of conservatism will be set back.

[Jazzhead]

that is an outright lie.

Many more Democrats blocked the bill than the Freedom Caucus.

No, it's the truth -  but I recommend a good bourbon, consumed neat, if you insist on being blinded to reality.   

We all knew going in both the no Dems would support the AHCA,  and that near-unity among the GOP caucus was therefore essential.   That could have been a good thing - the GOP didn't have to consider the Dems so long as it could keep its caucus together.  That's why the bill was carefully crafted to not be so radical that it couldn't win support from GOP moderates.  I guess leadership figured conservatives would be well satisfied by the ACHA's conservative changes.   But the Freedom Caucus decided to flex its muscle and kill the bill while defying both Congressional leadership and the President.

The FC is no friend of conservative values.  Its hubris has betrayed those values.   

[corbe]

It was a historically important first step - one that hasn't been accomplished with any large federal entitlement program to date.   These programs acquire constituencies that are politically impossible to break.  But the ACHA's block grants to the states would have, if successful, created the model and precedent for unwinding the federal leviathan.   

But it wasn't good enough for the Freedom Caucus  -  its stubbornness in refusing to go along with party leadership has set back the cause of free markets.  The blow may or may not be fatal.  But with conservatives unwilling to join a coalition of the willing,  the temptation will indeed be great to move toward single payer.

   @Jazzhead Block Grants to the States, which you keep bringing up, are all well and good AND will probably be a part of the solution in the Replacement Bill, there were other things in the ACHA bill, to numerous to mention that were just a bridge to far for the Freedom caucus, repeal the damn thing, unlike others here, I believe the votes would be there, then start the Legislative process of maintaining the things that voters want and clearly don't want.

   Why can't we have both, it's not either/or.

[Jazzhead]

But nobody expects Democrats to vote for bills that end individual and business taxes, convert an entitlement program to a block grant, and reduce federal spending on health care by hundreds of billions of dollars.  People do expect conservatives to support such things.

Maybe the FC is simply playing a bit of poker here, and trying a bluff to ensure they get the most conservative bill possible before voting for it.  So maybe they come back to the table, work out something with the moderates, and a bill gets pushed through.  But if they're really going to hold out for "full repeal or nothing", then it's going to be nothing, and the cause of conservatism will be set back.

Maj. Bill, you've been a most eloquent exponent of rationality and common sense.   Bravo! 

[Hoodat]

The AHCA did get rid of both the employer and individual mandates.   But the Freedom Caucus couldn't take yes for an answer.

The AHCA still requires adult children of policy holders be allowed on family policies up to age 26.  And it prohibits insurers from charging extra for pre-existing conditions.  This is what is known as 'federal mandates'.  And these are mandates that you have openly supported.  So stop lying about how AHCA gets rid of mandates.  It doesn't.  Because if it did, you would no longer support it.

[geronl]

No they can't, and no they won't.   The ACA lives - get used to it.   The Freedom Caucus has shown they cannot be trusted,  and cannot be part of the next coalition. 

 

The RINO-DEM Coalition is in charge and we all know how trustworthy they are.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

....unlike others here, I believe the votes would be there, then start the Legislative process of maintaining the things that voters want and clearly don't want.

Ultimately, that's unknowable for us here, and we're all just reading the tea leaves and trying to figure out if the votes are there, or not.  I'll just say that if the votes are there, then we should expect to see a vote on that at some point.

If the votes really aren't there, then I hope the FC is willing to support the most conservative bill that can be passed.

[corbe]

Ultimately, that's unknowable for us here, and we're all just reading the tea leaves and trying to figure out if the votes are there, or not.  I'll just say that if the votes are there, then we should expect to see a vote on that at some point.

If the votes really aren't there, then I hope the FC is willing to support the most conservative bill that can be passed.

   Agree @Maj. Bill Martin

[Jazzhead]

The AHCA still requires adult children of policy holders be allowed on family policies up to age 26.  And it prohibits insurers from charging extra for pre-existing conditions.  This is what is known as 'federal mandates'.  And these are mandates that you have openly supported.  So stop lying about how AHCA gets rid of mandates.  It doesn't.  Because if it did, you would no longer support it.

Allowing kids on their parents' policies until age 26 is wildly popular.  Only the nuts are proposing doing away with that change.   The rest all want to be re-elected.   

And,  yes, guaranteed issue insurance is at the heart of the ACA.  And yes,  I support retaining that requirement, coupled with an insurer's ability to punish free riders.   That's because the alternative is single payer.