The Tea Party Sedition Letter

A letter signed by 44 Tea Party members of the House of Representatives clearly shows that there was a deliberate, pre-planned strategy to shutdown the government, specifically for the purpose of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

If there’s any doubt about which party has caused the government shutdown, that letter documents exactly who is behind the manuever. It also points toward seditious conspiracy, an act of treason under the U.S. Code.

The Letter

Back in August, at the urging of freshman representative Mark Meadows, a letter was presented to Speaker of the House John Boehner and Majority Whip Eric Cantor. The letter is a matter of public record as it is classified as a Public Statement by the members of the House.

The full letter can be viewed here. It is dated August 21, 2013 and addressed to Boehner and Cantor. Here are pertinent excerpts:

Therefore, we should continue our efforts to repeal Obamacare in its entirety this year, next year, and until we are successful. However, in the meantime, there is more we can do in Congress.

Since much of the implementation of Obamacare is a function of the discretionary appropriations process, including the operation of the “mandatory spending” portions of the law, and since most of the citizens we represent believe that Obamacare should never go into effect, we urge you to affirmatively de-fund the implementation and execution of Obamacare in any relevant appropriations bill brought to the House floor in the 113th Congress, including any continuing apppropriations bill. [Highlights are mine.]

The Signees

Forty-four members of the House signed the letter. This number represents a small minority of that chamber, approximately ten percent. All but two – Rush Holt of New Jersey and Xavier Becarra of California, are designated Republicans. All but three of these Representatives will be up for re-election in 2014. Their collective signature is yet another action to fly their Tea Party flags, in hopes of continued funding and endorsement as the campaign for re-election gets underway.

1. Randy Hultgren, (IL) – District 14, Republican
2. Rodney Davis, (IL) – District 13, Republican
3. Aaron Schock, (IL) – District 18, Republican

UP FOR RE-ELECTION IN 2014

1. Kerry Bentivolio, (MI) – District 11, Republican
2. Mark Meadows, (NC) – District 11, Republican
3. Randy Neugebauer, (TX) – District 19, Republican
4. Tim Huelskamp, (KS) – District 1, Republican
5. Thomas Massie, (KY) – District 4, Republican
6. Doug LaMalfa, (CA) – District 1, Republican
7. Xavier Becerra, (CA) – District 34, Democrat
   
8. Mike Pompeo, (KS) – District 4, Republican
9. Bill Flores, (TX) – District 17, Republican
10. Bill Huizenga, (MI) – District 2, Republican
11. Steve King, (IA) – District 4, Republican
12. Steve Chabot, OH) – District 1, Republican
13. Raúl Labrador, ID) – District 1, Republican
14. Steve Daines, (MT) – At-Large, Republican
15. Bill Posey, (FL) – District 8, Republican
16. Cynthia Lummis, (WY) – At-Large, Republican
17. Howard Coble, (NC) – District 6, Republican
18. Bill Cassidy, (LA) – District 6, Republican
19. Tom Marino, PA) – District 10, Republican
20. Gus Bilirakis, (FL) – District 12, Republican
21. Diane Black, TN) – District 6, Republican
22. John Fleming, Jr., (LA) – District 4, Republican
23. Jack Kingston, (GA) – District 1, Republican
24. Paul Gosar, (AZ) – District 4, Republican
25. John Duncan, Jr., (TN) – District 2, Republican
26. Joe Wilson, Sr., (SC) – District 2, Republican
27. Doug Lamborn, (CO) – District 5, Republican
28. Sam Graves, (MO) – District 6, Republican
29. Rush Holt, Jr., (NJ) – District 12, Democratic
30. Randy Weber, (TX) – District 14, Republican
31. Walter Jones, Jr., (NC) – District 3, Republican
32. Michele Bachmann, (MN) – District 6, Republican
33. Ralph Hall, (TX) – District 4, Republican
34. Luke Messer, (IN) – District 6, Republican
35. Phil Roe, (TN) – District 1, Republican
36. Steve Scalise, (LA) – District 1, Republican
37. Doug Collins, (GA) – District 9, Republican
38. Tim Walberg, (MI) – District 7, Republican
39. Paul Broun, (GA) – District 10, Republican
40. Jackie Walorski, (IN) – District 2, Republican
41. Steven Palazzo, (MS) – District 4, Republican