The conservative Heritage Foundation rolled into Indianapolis Monday night to rally support for defunding the federal health care law.
Heritage president and former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint is traveling to nine cities to dial up public pressure on Republicans to keep health-care funding out of the budget bill, even at the risk of a government shutdown.
Indiana Congressmen Marlin Stutzman, Luke Messer and Jackie Walorski have signed a letter urging House leaders to cut the pursestrings.
But Indiana Senator Dan Coats is among a rival faction of Republicans warning a showdown wouldn‘t accomplish anything except to damage the G-O-P politically.
Meanwhile, Indianapolis State Representative Ed DeLaney (D) acknowledges the law isn‘t perfect, but charges opponents‘ all-or-nothing approach has made improvements impossible.
He says that‘s why the White House has resorted to delaying several provisions. DeLaney and Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) argue Indiana is already reaping benefits from the law, and has more to gain as the law takes full effect. They blast Governor Pence for not embracing the law‘s expansion of Medicaid. Pence has asked the government to let Indiana use its own state plan for the uninsured as the vehicle for a Medicaid expansion.
