According to a report by the Associated Press on Tuesday, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), the lone Republican defector on the House health care reform bill, admitted that he had suffered some blowback from the bill: two fundraisers have been canceled and several campaign contributors have asked for their money back. Though some GOP leaders like Michael Steele have claimed the GOP will come after any Republican defectors, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) claims that the canceled fundraisers aren’t retaliatory and that he is “well aware that Anh Cao is a thoughtful legislator.” Meanwhile, a Louisiana Republican Party spokesman claims he knows of no efforts to primary Rep. Cao.
Cao says he doesn’t regret the vote–“At the end of the day, I have to represent my district” — and that he has no intention of deserting the Republican Party.
But I’ve never been a partisan politician. If you were to listen to me on some of the issues on the Hill, I have addressed my frustration toward partisan politics.
He also tells the AP that he can’t support a final bill unless it explicitly bans federal funding of abortions.
