Yesterday, North Carolina Republicans attempted to override Governor Perdue's veto of House Bill 2, which would have expressed a firm challenge to federal health care regulations. The Republican majority in the Senate had the votes to override the veto, but they were four votes short in the House.
House Republicans knew that it would be difficult to achieve the three-fifths majority required to override the veto. But given the importance of the issue, they thought that it was worth a try. When it was all said and done, all Republicans and one independent voted in favor of the override, while all Democrats voted against it.
Speaker of the House Thom Tillis (R - Mecklenburg) released the following statement in response to the General Assembly's inability to override the veto:
Friends,
This afternoon, we debated the VETO override for House Bill 2 (Protect Health Care Freedom Act). My House GOP colleagues knew we had an uphill battle, but we strongly believe that the Governor must not have the last word on our efforts to defend North Carolina from the overreach of the Federal Government.
Contrary to the contrived/official name, we believe the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" will NOT protect more patients and we are absolutely convinced that it will NOT be affordable. In fact, we strongly believe OBAMAcare will create another fiscal crisis for our Great State. It is a job killing bill that is opposed by pro-business (read: job creating) organizations across North Carolina and the United States.
To say that I am disappointed with the loss of the override vote is an understatement. However, I am proud of my GOP colleagues who fought the good fight. We may have lost this battle but the war continues. We must educate the citizens of North Carolina, and we need your help. I hope you will continue to join us in future battles to protect the future of North Carolina.
Good Night and God Bless, Thom T.
