GOP the Party of the Welfare State as Conservative Heroes Fight Back

Congressman Mike Pence (IN) warned his House colleagues that their vote on the Medicare prescription drug benefit would decide whether Republicans would become the party of new entitlements and the expansion of the welfare state. With the Senate Republicans joining their House compatriots and George W. Bush supporting and now signing this new $7 trillion unfunded entitlement, it is official. The GOP has now become the nation's new welfare state party. The Republican National Committee even brags the Democrats can no longer compete with it in adopting new entitlement programs.

The Republican Party has turned its back on limited government, depriving the Democrat Party of its monopoly claim to be the champion of big government. The bill's giant new spending will further push forward the date of the bankruptcy of Medicare or it will result in massive inflation, either way threatening the future success of the nation and the GOP-but only after the present leadership is safely retired from public life. As a result of businesses' furious lobbying for this wonderful opportunity to throw their retired employees obligations to the taxpayer, the new plan will force seniors with employer drug benefits into a lower-coverage and more expensive government plan. If this bill succeeds in its purpose, private insurance for the elderly will go the way of the dodo.

The only bright spot was nine courageous Republican Senators and 25 House members voted in favor of fiscal sanity and a rational health policy for seniors by voting 'NO' on this 2003 version of HillaryCare. They deserve the thanks of all Americans. The Republican Senatorial heroes voting against this irresponsible bill were: John Ensign (NV), Lindsey Graham (SC), Trent Lott (MS), Judd Gregg (NH), John McCain (AZ), Lincoln Chafee (RI), John Sununu (NH), Chuck Hagel (NE), and Don Nickles (OK) Their principled colleagues in the House were: Todd Akin (MO), J. Gresham Barrett (SC), Dan Burton (IN), Steve Chabot (OH), John Culberson (TX), Jim DeMint (SC), Jo Ann Emerson (MO), Tom Feeney (FL), Jeff Flake (AZ), Scott Garrett (NJ), Gil Gutknecht (MN), John Hostettler (IN), Walter Jones (NC), Jeff Miller (FL), Jerry Moran (KS), Marilyn Musgrave (CO), Charlie Norwood (GA), Ron Paul (TX), Mike Pence (IN), Jim Ryun (KS), John Shadegg, (AZ), Nick Smith (MI), Tom Tancredo (CO), Pat Toomey (PA), and Zach Wamp (TN). We salute their courage and pledge our support against the strong-arm tactics of the Republican leadership for whatever they decide to do in the future.

Conservatives groups also stood up to be counted in opposition to this disastrous bill. The old Hilary-Care opposition was recreated and expanded as 42 conservative groups joined a Coalition Against Higher Medicare Costs that lobbied hard to overcome GOP Congressional and White House pressure. Unfortunately, several groups withered under the stress. Those that stood firm were: American Conservative Union, American Policy Center, Americans for a Limited Government, Arlington County Taxpayers, Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Citizens Against Government Waste, Citizens Against HigherTaxes, Citizens for Limited Taxation, Citizens for a Sound Economy, Citizens United, Citizen Outreach, Club for Growth Advocacy, Coalitions for America, Council for America, ConservativeHQ.com, Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance, Family Research Council, Family Taxpayers Network, Florida Tax Watch, Freedom Alliance, GOP Recall - Ohio, Greene County Taxpayers Association, Heal Washington, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Idahoans for Tax Reform, Illinois Policy Institute, Iowans for Tax Relief, Kansas Taxpayers Network, Liberty Committee, Maryland Taxpayers Association, National Tax Limitation Committee, National Taxpayers Union,Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, New York Tax Reform Organization, New YorkState Conservative Party, Ohio Taxpayers Association, Prince WilliamTaxpayers Alliance, Taxpayer Protection Alliance, Taxpayers For Common SenseAction, Taxpayers League of Minnesota, Tennessee Tax Revolt, UnitedCalifornians for Tax Reform, Utah Taxpayers Association, VOTORS.org, WestVirginians Against Government Waste and York County Taxpayers Council. Foundations that opposed the bill's provisions included The Heritage Foundation, Competitive Enterprise Institute, CATO Institute, Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives, the National Center for Policy Analysis and the National Center for Public Policy Research. Rush Limbaugh was an especially strong voice leading the charge against the bill on talk radio.

Those conservative-in-name-only Senators and Congressmen who voted 'YES' on this bill will live to rue their vote for this latest incarnation of the catastrophic health care debacle. When their constituents learn that their drug insurance from their employer is being cancelled and they are being forced to pay more for less Medicare benefits, they will come looking for their representatives and demand that the bill be repealed, as they did the last time. Even if it is not repealed, seniors will now know whom to blame for losing their private health coverage-Republicans. Once again, the support of the unabashedly liberal American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and big business will not be able to save them from the embarrassment and the political fallout. Ask former Chairman-and former Congressman-Dan Rostenkowski.

The good news is that the vote forced members of Congress and conservative groups to stand and be counted. Now we have an honor roll of those who have the moral right to lead the movement to revive the Founders limited government philosophy. It may be comatose today but the vast majority of the conservative and Republican base still holds to those truths and only needs new leadership to revive itself politically.