Blackburn says Obamacare is ‘biggest driver of growth in nation’s debt’

Nicole June Reporting
njune@clarksvillenow.com

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – In an interview with ClarksvilleNow.com, Representative Marsha Blackburn said she is monitoring the impact the government shutdown has had on the local area.

“We are in contact with Fort Campbell and we are doing what we can to get the government back open. We didn’t want it to go into a shutdown. We’re very disappointed with that step by the Senate,” she said. “If the Senate will not go to conference with us on a continuing resolution or a budget, what we are doing is taking things one at a time.”

Blackburn said small bills will be passed individually to obtain funding for veterans, parks, and other institutions, provided there is bipartisan agreement.

Particular areas of concern include the military, civilians, and veterans’ affairs. “Whether it is our military or our civilian military, they’ve been taking cuts now for a five-year period, and what we are seeking to do is to back-fill that money and it is of tremendous concern to us,” she said. A bill to provide immediate funds for veterans’ affairs was up for a vote Wednesday, according to Blackburn. “We will pass it very soon,” she said.

The Republican-controlled House aims to pass a spending bill that does not include the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, while the Democratic Senate wishes to pass a bill that does not affect the funding. This remains at the forefront of Blackburn’s concerns. “Obamacare is the single biggest driver of growth in our nation’s debt,” she said. “You can’t address the budget and the spending measures without taking this into consideration because it is where the growth in our nation’s debt and our nation’s spending is taking place.”

As for the time-span of the shutdown, Blackburn is unsure how long it will take for a resolution. “We remain hopeful that they will work with us on this. We would like it to be shorter rather than longer and I hope it’s not going to be more than a couple of weeks at the very longest, but we continue to monitor the situation as closely as we possibly can.”