Posted on 07/21/2017 5:24:52 AM PDT by Kaslin
Until now, I haven't been too concerned about the Republican Party's difficulties in passing a health care reform bill because delays have resulted in improvements to the proposed legislation. But enough is enough. No more games.
It's time to quit the finger-pointing. Neither congressional leaders nor President Trump have done enough to whip votes and sell the bill.
A major overhaul of Obamacare, whether a full repeal, or a repeal and replacement, is imperative for Trump and congressional Republicans. More than any other, Obamacare is the issue that has galvanized grass-roots conservatives since 2010, and the Republicans' failure to act now will be devastating on multiple levels.
Excuses like "we had a few renegade senators on the left and the right" won't work. Then-President Obama had no problem getting a majority to support Obamacare and was even able, albeit through deceit and legislative bribery, to cobble together a filibuster-proof margin.
So why can't Republicans get their act together? The differences are that Obama wanted this more than anything else and thus almost willed it into existence, and Democrats are far more monolithic than Republicans and stick together. Republicans must show the same fierce determination Obama showed when he crammed his monstrosity down our throats.
This requires a concerted team effort. President Trump must focus far more attention on this than he has, and his meetings with Senate Republicans this week were a good start. For now, congressional Republicans must also make this their highest priority. Once the bill passes, Trump and Republican legislators must move on to tax reform with the same unified focus and determination.
Like never before, Trump must use the full extent of his political capital to sell the public on this bill and pressure recalcitrant legislators. He should hold major rallies in the states whose senators are balking, and give substantive speeches on what is at stake and why this bill is the lynchpin to reversing Obama's agenda. For their part, congressional Republicans need to be all over television and flood print media with op-eds pushing this bill.
Both Trump and GOP legislators must detail how Obamacare is failing and underscore the failed promises Obama made to advance this bill. In the process, they must change the narrative to distinguish between health care insurance (a term that has been bastardized, anyway) and affordable, quality health care with maximum consumer choices. For far too long, Democrats have corrupted the national conversation by fearmongering and distorting the English language.
I don't deny that the current version of the Senate bill is far from ideal from a conservative point of view, but it is far better than it was before, and it is light-years better than the status quo. I confess that I have been torn on supporting measures that many believe are Obamacare Lite, but in the end, we have to do the best we can do and go forward. We cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
I think we have a far better chance of passing a so-called repeal-and-replace bill, which could be more accurately described as a partial repeal and replacement than a full-blown repeal. Either way, one must occur without further delay.
Many pundits assume that if left alone, Obamacare will continue to unravel and disintegrate, but another school of thought says that it has already sustained the worst and will survive. I don't know about you, but I would never want to bet against the survival of any government entitlement program. Legislators will always figure out a way to bail it out, or, if it is beyond all repair, they might just take the easy route and opt for a single-payer system, which was Obama's plan all along. That's the worst of all worlds.
Even if Obamacare's ultimate failure were inevitable, Republicans can't sit on their hands and watch it die in slow motion. Far too many people will be hurt, which is unacceptable.
Moreover, though many Republicans assume that Obamacare's final implosion would mostly redound to the Democrats' detriment, it is hard to see that considering they would be the ones in power during the implosion. Don't ever underestimate the formidability of the media-enabled Democratic propaganda machine.
If Republicans don't get their act together now, they may not ever get another chance to prevent socialized medicine in this country. We'll never have a better chance to make market-based health care reforms if we don't pass the best bill possible now, for at least two reasons: First, Republicans will be punished for incompetence and betrayal in the next election. And second, there will be a point beyond which market reforms can't feasibly be made.
But if Republicans move this bill through, there's a good chance they can continue to improve it incrementally -- especially if the changes in the current bill yield demonstrable results.
The proposed Senate bill is far from perfect, but we're fantasizing if we think we're going to get anything close to perfect at this point. Sen.Ted Cruz apparently finds the bill acceptable, and, for now, all things considered, that's good enough for me.
It's the same reason work on immigration reform never worked... Congress decks this stuff out like a Christmas tree with so there so much stuff the corruption isn't noticeable..
The problem is that when Trump and the Republicans get out there and try and sell this bill they over-promise to an extent not seen since Obama's selling of Obamacare. Trump gave an interview with CNS where be began by condemning single-payer but then ran down an impossible list of promises that the GOP bill will fulfill. Will substantially lower premiums while at the same time protecting pre-existing conditions. Provide better coverage for low-income Americans and make sure that everybody is protected. Stabilize markets. Restore choices. Over and over and over again on things that they flat can't do or which they are hoping will happen. Lower costs. Lower deductibles. They are promising the moon with no clue on how to deliver. The way they are selling it is a big mistake and not a big misstep.
The problem with a partial repeal and replace bill is that the follow-on will never get done. They need to do it now and it needs to be a total 100% repeal to kill it. I hate the use of the term ‘replace’ because that is the last thing we need. Any legislation addressing health care needs to be very limited and exclusively geared to opening up full and free competition across the health sector.
I couldn't agree with this more. The President needs to do a full court press. The senate is populated with cowards and weasels. Right now they're more afraid of the media then they are of us. The President can change that.
Well said; agree 100%
Until medical science perfects testicular transplants, the Republicans in Congress will always have an excuse for why they are not acting like men instead of gutless cowards.
Face it.
The GOP will do nothing.
We had better get cracking on a new party.
Or suffer CW-II.
First, repeal.
That’s IT__NOTHING ELSE!!!!
Then, maybe, the other stuff. One -line bill does it all.
You hit the nail on the head.
Full court press on what. He’s suggested repeal and replace and repeal only a couple of times. He was repeal only last week about this time and his most recent was repeal and replace.
Obamacare won’t be repealed, because it can’t be repealed - or, more exactly, it can’t be repealed without ushering in huge Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate.
Members of Congress don’t know much, but they can count votes like a pimp in a whorehouse can count money.
Yes, the voters “hate Obamacare and want it repealed”. That is absolutely true.
It’s also true that they want the ability to buy insurance for pre-existing conditions, want insurance companies to be forbidden to cancel policies for non-payment, want zero payment at the point of service, want their adult children who are smoking dope in a dive in Oakland to stay covered, want their States to expand Medicaid without taxes going up, and so on.
In other words, the only two things they hate about Obamacare are paying for it, and the name.
Republicans in Congress understand this perfectly well, which is why there’s no plan.
And, not coincidentally, Obamacare (and Romneycare) were the culmination of fifty years of “reform”, all of which had the purpose of destroying the private sector or making it impossible for the private sector to function, except for boob jobs and a few other things. And, by 2009, the mission was largely accomplished.
Obamacare was merely a temporary mop-up operation, until full nationalization was possible.
And now, it is.
Like Nixon to China, Trump will propose single payer within the year. It’s really the only way out at this point.
And before you accuse me of favoring it, realize that it will destroy a lifetime of work for me. I don’t like it - I hate it.
But it’s coming, because it’s what the voters, bless their pointy little heads, want.
Yep. People want the freebies of Obamacare without the payment mechanisms.
What party do you suggest?
I never see any mention of the fact that the IRS has all of our medical records. Surely that is a consideration to repeal it! Do they not still have them?
Exactly.....Ive been waiting, voting and contribution since the Great Ronald Reagan held office, and after he left, nothing but kabuki theater from the GOPe. They are bought and paid for. A new party must have strict rules against lobbyist, contributions, and foreign donations. Then maybe they can represent US.
The problem is they have been claiming they will save us from the Edsel lemon by forcing us to buy a Corvair lemon.
Anyone who would want to trade one lemon for another just because of party loyalty has rocks in their head. Just repeal and not replace with anything... open the market so we can go pick and choose what we would like to drive... It would fix it’s self in two years.
FULL REPEAL...then remove the laws that prevent competition between states and all the pre existing condition laws. There will be many more plans eventually, tailored to a individuals needs. Get the illegals with common flu/colds type illness out of the emergency rooms by having ICE stationed there. The real sick ones will show up and be provided service knowing they will be deported after treatment.
OPENURMIND....your common sence, practical and correct approach cannot possibly work unless CONgress can figure out a way to pocket tax dollars for themselves. Look at EVERY CONgressman/senator, and President since Bush. How in the hell did they gain so much money Before they left office, and before they started their speaking tours. Obama and his kids have a net worth of millions, on a salary of under 300K.
So why are Republicans stalling? Look no further than big donors, which could then influence future elections. But, that's the chance Republicans must take as their current path is a guaranteed loser.
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