A Republican lawmaker in North Carolina faced a grilling from a group of tea party members on Monday after he said that he would not force the federal government to be shut down if President Barack Obama's health care reform law was funded.
August 6, 2013

A Republican lawmaker in North Carolina faced a grilling from a group of tea party members on Monday after he said that he would not force the federal government to be shut down if President Barack Obama's health care reform law was funded.

During a town town hall meeting at Queen's University of Charlotte, Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) was asked if he would join Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and refuse to pass any continuing resolutions to fund the government until Obamacare was fully defunded.

"This is what the tea party wants to know," the constituent said. "Will you vote with Mike Lee... to defund Obamacare? Yes or no?"

"Do you want me to give a thoughtful answer?" Pittenger asked.

"I want yes or no," the tea partier demanded.

"No," Pittenger said.

"If every Republican votes against it, it does not get funded, that's a fact," the questioner insisted.

"It has to pass the Senate and be signed by the president of the United States," Pittenger explained. "Do you think Harry Reid is going to pass that in the Senate?"

"It doesn't matter!" one woman yelled. "We need to show the American people we stand for conservative values!"

(h/t: Talking Points Memo)

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