Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today supported an amendment to H.R. 1, the FY2011 Continuing Resolution, offered by Labor Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Denny Rehberg to defund the implementation of President Obama’s health care bill that was signed into law last year. The amendment passed with a final vote of 239-187.

"The Democrats’ health care bill is wrong for our country,” said Simpson. “With 26 challenges to the law in various state courts, including Idaho, and the recent ruling in Florida finding the law unconstitutional, it doesn’t make sense to continue funding its implementation - especially considering the Supreme Court should ultimately strike it down.  I have also supported full repeal and defunding the bill so that we can then begin passing smaller bills that enjoy bipartisan support and focus on bringing down costs for American healthcare consumers.”

Simpson acknowledges the prospects for a full-scale repeal are slim because President Obama can veto any such legislation, but he will continue to work to defund the law through the appropriations process. “This amendment to the continuing resolution will make it more difficult to fund some of the programs in the health care bill that Americans have overwhelmingly rejected.”