TN Congressman Blackburn Says Its Worth Debating A Government Shutdown To Stop Obamacare

Tennessee Congressman Marsha Blackburn says she welcomes the idea to shutdown the federal government if the Affordable Care Act is not repealed. But she stopped short of saying she supports such a move.

Rep. Blackburn has proposed delaying full implementation of the Affordable Care Act by one year. Other Republican members of the state’s congressional delegation have also proposed delaying all or part of the law. Image: Office of Rep. Marsha Blackburn

Texas Senator Ted Cruz wants to hold up funding of all federal agencies, in effect shutting the government down, in order to force a repeal. Congressman Blackburn says she hopes a shutdown isn’t necessary, but it’s an option that should be debated.  “Everything we can do-whether it’s defunding, delaying, repealing, replacing-all of our energy needs to be in every one of these efforts,” she said today after speaking to the Economic Club of Nashville. “I applaud Ted Cruz for getting out there and bringing this to the forefront.”

But some top Republicans have criticized holding the budget hostage to do away with Obamacare. Tennessee Senator Bob Corker called it “silly” and “self defeating.”