Whitaker: ObamaCare, long-term debt ‘wet blanket’ on economy

Although it became clear to him early on it was not a winning strategy, Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Matt Whitaker would have been a “no” vote on ending the partial federal government shutdown.

“I would have liked to have seen dollar-for-dollar spending reductions” in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, Whitaker, who is seeking the 2014 GOP nomination to run for the seat held by Sen. Tom Harkin, said Thursday, the morning after the House and Senate voted to re-open the federal government. “But with a president who was unwilling to negotiate at all, it became clear early on that not much was going to get accomplished with that strategy.”

An attorney and small business owner himself, Whitaker has signed the pledge promoted by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah to defund the Affordable Care Act – ObamaCare.

“As a small business owner I have to deal with it and I've seen the challenges and what it is doing to small businesses,” Whitaker said. “We have to do something because it is going to have a last negative impact” for both employers and employees.

“It continues to be a wet blanket on job creation and growth, which we need more than ever,” he said. “There is no mystery why our economy is growing so slowly. It's the uncertainty about the implementation of ObamaCare and its long-term impact on companies and employees.”

The uncertainty created by ObamaCare and the rocky start of the enrollment for health care exchanges this month feed voters' frustrations, he added. The frustration is “not necessarily against the Republicans or Democrats, but that Congress can't get priorities together and make those tough choices.”

“Small businesses create seven out of every 10 jobs, he said after touring The ESCO Group in Marion on the first day of his Small Business Tour. Iowa needs a senator who knows how to create jobs and grow our economy.

First District Rep. Bruce Braley, the presumptive Democratic Senate nominee, “has a long record of voting for legislation that makes it more difficult for Iowa's small business owners to succeed,” Whitaker said.

For more on Whitaker, visit,

http://mattwhitaker.org/.