U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.

NASHVILLE - While U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee doesn't think much of Obamacare, he's dismissing efforts by some fellow Republicans to launch new attacks on the federal health care reform through opposing spending measures containing funds for President Barack Obama's health care law.

"Oh, I think it's a silly effort," the Chattanooga senator said Tuesday during an appearance on MSNBC's The Daily Rundown.

"What people are really saying who are behind that effort is we don't have the courage to roll up our sleeves and deal with real deficit reduction and spending decisions," Corker said. "We want to take ourselves out of the debate and act like we're being principled to the American people by saying if there's one dime of funding for Obamacare, we're not going going to vote for the [continuing resolution] on overall spending."

Corker said "I don't look at that as very courageous," and added "most of us see through it and realize that most of these people are really just taking themselves out of the debate. We've got an opportunity to get our country [right] as it relates to fiscal issues. We've taken some big steps, and when people take themselves out of the game like this, I think people see through it and understand what's really taking place."

A dozen Republican senators are pushing the idea in the Democratic-run Senate, saying they won't back any appropriations measures that include funds for implementing or enforcing the Affordable Care Act. A similar movement is underway in the GOP-led House.

But colleagues like Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., an ardent critic of the law, have been dismissive of their efforts.