Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal took the GOP-controlled Congress to task Friday for their first five months in power, blasting them for their actions on President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration and Obamacare.
In an interview with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, Jindal slammed GOP leadership in both chambers for waving the “white flag of surrender” on amnesty, adding that the Congressional GOP is “setting ourselves up for defeat again” by not offering up an alternative to Obamacare.
Jindal made the comments on the heels of news that he will be announcing his 2016 intentions on June 24.
“Here’s my concern and skepticism about just getting any Republican in there,” Jindal said when asked if Jeb Bush could make big changes if elected in 2016. “Look at what happened when we took the Senate back. I remember these great, soaring campaign promises last year, it wasn’t that long ago.”
“‘Give us the Senate and we’ll repeal Obamacare. Give us the Senate we’ll stop illegal amnesty. Give us the Senate, we’ll reduce government spending and balance the budget,'” Jindal said imitating those promises. “You know, look what’s happened: White flag of surrender on amnesty. They passed a toothless bill on this Iran bill — actually makes it worse not better in terms of Congressional oversight.
“When you look at Obamacare, they’ve not even passed, they’ve not even shown the American people how they would repeal and replace it, and I’m worried,” Jindal said. “I think the Supreme Court’s going to rule the way that it should. That these states — there there should not be mandates on these states that have a federal exchange, but what I worry about is Republicans in Congress are setting ourselves up for defeat again going out there again with a plan to repeal Obamacare and replace it, and they’re going to put themselves in a corner. That’s why you already hear Republicans saying ‘well, maybe we need to put a band-aid or a patch on it.”
Jindal went on to liken the outset of the 114th Congress to when the GOP controlled the legislative branch during President George W. Bush’s tenure in office.
“At the same time period, when we had a Republican president, a Republican Congress. Thats when we got No Child Left Behind. That’s when we got Part D in Medicare without Medicare reform, without premium support,” Jindal said. “It is absolutely right to criticize President Obama for $18 trillion of debt, but it didn’t just start under President Obama. I think, in part, we have Republicans in D.C. who have just become part of the problem. They want to go along to get along. Boy, I think that’s why we need conservatives.”
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