After just over two months in office, Republican Rep. Jim Bridenstine has already set the tone for his first two-year term in Congress as a leader who cares more about principle than party.
For instance, the 37-year-old native of Tulsa, Okla. did not vote for John Boehner to be Speaker of the House and tried last week to get the House to vote to defund Obamacare despite push back from House leadership.
Before coming to Congress, Bridenstine served his country by flying combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He never ran for public office before deciding with his friends in his living room to challenge Republican Rep. John Sullivan, who had voted to increase the debt limit. Bridenstine surprised many by defeating Sullivan in the primary before cruising to victory in the general election last November.
Bridenstine says Obamacare “is a government takeover” and says Chief Justice John Roberts is “incorrect” on the Affordable Care Act being a tax. He says he wants “Congress to take back its constitutional authority.”
“Just because the Supreme Court rules on something doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s constitutional,” he said.
Bridenstine petitioned the House Rules Committee to allow his amendment to defund Obamacare to be voted on, but the Republican leadership opposed him. Now, Sen. Ted Cruz is seeking a similar amendment when the Senate takes up the “continuing resolution” this week.
As we air the rest of Bridenstine’s interview this week, you will learn about Bridenstine’s path to Congress, why he didn’t vote for Speaker Boehner, how Washington is changing the legislative process to squelch the consent of the governed, and how he assesses bills with nice-sounding titles. (RELATED: House Republicans outline new fight on Obamacare)
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