Republican Senate candidate Matt Bevin launched a Facebook petition Tuesday to demand that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sign a letter by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) vowing to block legislation to keep the federal government open unless it defunds the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.
“Over the past couple of days, Sen. McConnell has been asked repeatedly whether he will support Sen. Mike Lee’s effort to defund Obamacare before its implementation on October 1st, and each time, Sen. McConnell has refused to answer,” Bevin said. “It is truly sad to see the minority leader of the U.S. Senate so afraid to answer a simple question. The people of Kentucky deserve an answer on this critical issue.”
Bevin’s effort is designed to put McConnell in a predicament between conservatives, who eagerly want to destroy Obamacare by any means, and his responsibilies as a Senate leader to keep government running.
Despite his fierce, ongoing opposition to Obamacare, McConnell has refused to conscript himself into blocking a continuing resolution to fund the government after the Sept. 30 deadline if the Affordable Care Act is not defunded.
Just days ago, Bevin wrote an op-ed demanding McConnell sign the letter, accusing him of “doublespeak” and “having his cake and eating it too.”