Cruz: Many to be 'addicted' to the health insurance subsidies

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, says time is short to defund the Affordable Care Act because people will get "addicted" to the subsidies to buy health insurance.

Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. and Mike Lee, R-Utah, who have all called to defund the law in any congressional spending bills, announced a Sept. 10 "Exempt America from Obamacare" event, organized by Tea Party Patriots and ForAmerica, along with other conservative groups, Politico reported.

The senator told Tea Party activists they have only a few months to stop the healthcare reform law before people get accustomed to having the federal government provide a tax credit -- some will get about 70 percent of the cost of health insurance paid for by the federal government depending on income. People can begin buying health insurance Oct. 1 and the law is put into effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

Once the law is implemented on Jan. 1 and once the insurance subsidies go into effect at the beginning of 2014, it will be too late to undo the Affordable Care Act, The Texas Tribune reported.

Cruz said President Barack Obama's strategy is to get as many U.S. adults to get hooked on the subsidies, or "addicted to the sugar," Cruz told supporters. "If we get to Jan. 1, this thing is here forever."