Romney warns against linking efforts to undo health law to govt. shutdown threat

Aug 8 2013

The former GOP presidential hopeful warned fellow Republicans that the party will "suffer" if some lawmakers continue to pursue this strategy.

The Washington Post: Romney Warns Against Government Shutdown, Saying GOP Would 'Suffer'
Mitt Romney returned to the political stage Tuesday night in New Hampshire and warned fellow Republicans against a government shutdown, which he said would bring dire human and political consequences. The 2012 GOP presidential nominee waded into the policy fight over possibly defunding President Obama's signature health-care law in the budget battle set to resume in September. Romney rejected a strategy proposed by leading congressional Republicans -; including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a leading Romney surrogate last year -; who are threatening not to pass a year-end budget bill if it includes funding for the health-care law (Rucker, 8/6).

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Romney Warns Against Government Shutdown, Says 'Better Ways' To Ditch Health Care Law
Romney, 66, warned congressional Republicans against letting emotions drive their decisions. "I badly want Obamacare to go away, and stripping it of funds has appeal. But we need to exercise great care about any talk of shutting down government," Romney said in the first speech of its kind since his November election loss to Obama. "What would come next when soldiers aren't paid, when seniors fear for their Medicare and Social Security, and when the FBI is off duty?" (8/6).

The Associated Press also offers a longer view -

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Post-Romney, Some In GOP Reject Advice To Moderate Positions, Worrying Party Elders
After Mitt Romney's 2012 loss, many senior Republicans concluded the party must moderate its image on issues such as immigration and reproductive rights. But some GOP lawmakers have done the opposite. They imposed new restrictions on abortion in several states. They are strongly resisting a broad immigration bill in the U.S. House. They're waging a steady assault on "Obamacare," with some House and Senate Republicans vowing to shut down the government if that's what it takes to choke off the health care law Congress enacted in 2010 (8/6).