What Will Kosmas Choose? Government-Run Health Care, or Budget Cuts to NASA

RPOF Press Release - March 18, 2010
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Tallahassee–The Republican Party of Florida today commented on the predicament facing Central Florida Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL), who previously voted against President Obama’s government-run health care experiment.

“The first time around, Suzanne Kosmas did the right thing for Floridians in breaking with the Democrat rank and file to vote against the Pelosi-Reid-Obama government takeover of our health care system,” said RPOF Executive Director Ronnie Whitaker. “She then turned her back on her district, siding with the President on his budget cuts to NASA, which would cause thousands to lose their jobs along Florida’s Space Coast.”

“Now, in a sudden change of position after being summoned to the White House by Rahm Emmanuel and the President and being called into Nancy Pelosi’s office, it looks like Kosmas is ready to support government run health care and willing to oppose cuts to NASA. Why not do the right thing for your constituents, Suzanne, and oppose both the government takeover of healthcare and cuts to NASA?,” concluded Whitaker.

Background:
“Congressional Democrats lost a key lawmaker in the health-care debate Thursday, when U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, said she would go against her party and oppose its $1trillion-or-more plan to cover more uninsured Americans. (Orlando Sentinel, 11/6/09)

“Days away from a make-or-break vote on his health care overhaul, President Barack Obama is turning up the pressure as only presidents can, as Democratic leaders make a desperate scramble for votes. The president is wooing freshman Democrats in the Oval Office, holding at least two one-on-one sessions in the past few days that never appeared on his official schedule, according to aides to two lawmakers invited, Reps. Scott Murphy, D-N.Y., and Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla. Both voted ‘no’ when the legislation passed the House of Representatives on the first go-round last year, but now they're not ruling out siding with the president and Democratic leaders on what's expected to be a cliffhanger vote later this week.” (Associated Press, 3/16/10)

“Kosmas has reason to be concerned. Some 7,000 shuttle workers at Kennedy Space Center are due to be laid off as soon as the shuttle program is shut down. And Kosmas, in her first term, had campaigned against previous incumbent Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, by arguing that President George W. Bush had systematically starved NASA of money needed for its moon program and that Feeney had done nothing to stop him. Kosmas is about to hear those words repeated back to her by the…Republicans…who are running against her.” (Orlando Sentinel, 1/28/10)

“U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, whose district includes KSC, says she doesn't want to back more shuttle flights if it ‘ties the hands’ of the administration…” (Orlando Sentinel, 1/20/10)


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