A growing number of Republican House members, especially those elected in 2010 and 2012, are voicing dissent against the weak, defensive House Republican leadership as President Barack Obama consolidates the power of the executive branch.
Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar is one of these principled Republicans.
Gosar, a dentist and quiet backbencher elected in 2010, is dismayed by a president who is more “willing to talk with other foreign powers, even al-Qaida and Iran, than to work with Congress… It’s his way or the highway.”
In an exclusive video interview with The Daily Caller, Gosar espouses an increasing skepticism about Republican policy negotiations with a presidential team that does not abide by the rule of law. Gosar is tired of playing defense against an administration that goes after Republicans., saying
“They’ve data-mined and they’ve attacked their opposition,” Gosar said. “We also know there’s no rule of law to hold them back.”
He wants to go on the offensive against Attorney General Eric Holder and the Internal Revenue Service.
“Civil society has to be the equal application of the law on everyone,” including the Obama administration, he said.
Gosar also attacked House leadership for their compromises.
“Every time they say we’re not going to do something, we end up backtracking and having a discussion with the Senate bill,” he said.
He also derided them for spearheading an unpopular immigration reform push: “The money trail always dictates policy, and that’s what’s sad.”
Gosar stands by his principles, rather than kowtowing to the desires of the monied elites for low-skilled immigrant workers.
Similarly, Gosar voted against the omnibus government spending bill late last year.
“Something’s gone wrong with this picture when you look at the compromise Paul Ryan came up with Sen. Patty Murray,” he said. “We’re going in the wrong direction.”
Rather than voting for a bill that cut military pensions, reduced border and embassy security and acquired more land for the federal government, Gosar again stood by his small-government, low-spending principles.
Gosar sees his constituents suffering because of Obamacare, and he wants his party to find ways to prevent big government from taking over the health care system. He wants patients, not bureaucrats, in the driver’s seat. Instead of letting government take over our health, Gosar wants more people to discuss monopolies in insurance, hospitals and doctors.
In the same vein, Gosar wants to discuss tort and tax reform. For him, standing against GOP leadership and his president is a matter of principles, the same ideas that got him elected. Gosar doesn’t bend in the wind. Instead, he stands firm in the idea that government is not and will never be the solution to America’s problems.
In a previous segment of the interview, Gosar said anyone who took constitutional law from Professor Obama should ask for their money back.
Brad Matthews contributed to this report.
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