It’s not often that I’ve had the opportunity or inclination to take up my pen in recent months, owing to the Washington Examiner‘s transformation earlier this year from daily print newspaper to online media. I do so now only out of concern about a persistent myth that is heard daily in the Obamacare debate.

That myth is that Congress cannot repeal or otherwise change “mandatory spending,” and therefore Obamacare cannot be defunded via a continuing resolution, as proposed by Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky.