Heidi Alexander: “I appreciate being part of the colloquy with the Senator from Texas, and I was listening to his comments. I remember…”

“I appreciate being part of the colloquy with the Senator from Texas, and I was listening to his comments. I remember being asked by Senator McConnell and the House Speaker John Boehner to speak on behalf of Republicans at the President's health care summit 3 years ago about the new health care law. I was the first speaker there and since that time have done my best to try to void its passage and then to repeal and replace it. But I'm not in the shut down the government crowd. I'm in the let's- take-over-the-government crowd and elect a number of more Republicans and even a Republican President who agrees with us and who wants a different kind of health care law, one that introduces choice and competition and that actually reduces health care costs for most Americans. What bothers me so much about this impasse today is the effect it might have on our military men and women around the world. I'm trying to imagine what it must be like for someone fighting in Afghanistan whose check might be late, whose spouse is at Fort Campbell, and whose mortgage is due today or tomorrow or the next day, or what if the Department of Defense school closes there and that spouse has a job and no childcare? These are very practical problems we need to be thinking about. We need not be thinking about shutting down the government. We need to be thinking about a way to fund the government and change the health care law at the same time.…”