Face it, Republicans Have No Intention of Repealing Obamacare
“if you’ve got that anger working for you, you’re gonna let it be”
What’s happening with Obamacare repeal, you ask? That is a fantastic question. But at this point, it’s quite clear that Republicans who campaigned on repealing the ACA have zero intention of doing so now that the opportunity has presented itself.
Seven Republican Senators voted against a so-called “clean repeal” bill Wednesday. Sens McCain, Murkowski, Capito, Lamar Alexander, Collins, Portman, and Heller are responsible for tanking the latest repeal effort. The bill offered no replacement but promised to delay full repeal, giving lawmakers time to figure out the rest.
The bill failed after the world fell apart Tuesday, blaming Sen. McCain for single-handedly sentencing millions to certain death because he had the audacity to vote to open up debate…for a bill he voted against less than 24-hours later.
Next on the docket is a “skinny repeal” effort, a bill that would remove the individual mandate and medical device tax.
From Politico:
“Sure. There’s plenty we agree on,” said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) late Wednesday when asked if he can get 50 votes. One challenge for GOP leaders is “trying to explain the concept that we need to do it this way as opposed to solving all the problems in a Senate bill now.”
Cornyn said broader negotiations on Medicaid reforms and other divisive issues would likely reemerge in bicameral negotiations with the House. But some Republicans are worried that those talks would revive efforts to wind down a Medicaid expansion that’s benefited their states.
Skinny repeal? Why bother?!
Because it’s not necessarily meant to stand as it’s written, but is designed to kick the bill back to the House who can then go back to the drawing board and come up with yet another garbage piece of legislation no one likes.
No one is an agreement about how to proceed. No one except for voters who grown anxious waiting for their Obamacare repeal dreams to come true.
I’ve long railed against the opportunists who took the Tea Party and exploited a genuine righteous anger, squeezing it for cash and clicks. Keeping the base riled up with outrageous promises of firing Eric Holder, ousting John Boehner, and repealing Obamacare while Obama was in office were a few of their favorite go-to lines.
As it turns out, it wasn’t just grassroots opportunists playing with anger-exploits. Former House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, who was embarrassingly ousted in huge 2014 upset confessed that even in 2013, no one believed repealing Obamacare was possible. From The Washingtonian:
Let’s back up a moment. Remember the summer of 2013, when the “Defund Obamacare Tour” drove the news cycle all through Congress’s August recess? The town halls organized by the political arm of the Heritage Foundation enlivened the base and furthered what had been the GOP’s core message since 2010—that Obamacare was bad and, if Americans helped Republicans hold both chambers, it could be repealed.
Cantor helped create that perception. Earlier that summer—after many failed attempts over the years to shred the law piecemeal—Cantor promised colleagues that the House would vote on a “full repeal.” But even after it did, the measure was dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Cantor—in Congress 13 years and, fairly or unfairly, once thought to be above electoral reproach—paid the price. His 2014 avenger, now-congressman David Brat, bludgeoned him for being soft on Obamacare, among other things. But the failure to make a dent in the law landed a bigger blow on the party. After seven years of pledging they could dismantle Obamacare, if only they had control of Congress and the White House, Republicans—at last in charge of both—have faced deep divisions over a replacement.
Asked if he feels partly responsible for their current predicament, Cantor is unequivocal. “Oh,” he says, “100 percent.”
He goes further: “To give the impression that if Republicans were in control of the House and Senate, that we could do that when Obama was still in office . . . .” His voice trails off and he shakes his head. “I never believed it.”
He says he wasn’t the only one aware of the charade: “We sort of all got what was going on, that there was this disconnect in terms of communication, because no one wanted to take the time out in the general public to even think about ‘Wait a minute—that can’t happen.’ ” But, he adds, “if you’ve got that anger working for you, you’re gonna let it be.”
No one is telling the truth about what’s possible, not on either side of the aisle, as Sen. Sasse notes:
Sasse: Let's face it, both parties have lied to you about healthcare. pic.twitter.com/0eqXPXmmIR
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 26, 2017
While everyone else is running around spewing Beltway-speak, Sen. Sasse seems to be the only one publicly saying what everyone knows to be true.
But the reality is demoralizing and disappointing — Republicans simply have no intention of repealing Obamacare.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
It’s time for a second political party in these United States.
One aspect to this is there’s over a year until Election 2018. So, it’s not as though we’ve been strung along right up before election day and are at a loss for what to do. I hope there are individuals and groups are now ready to make a move toward doing what you suggest, forming a political party that will give the Uni-Party a run for its money if not defeat.
Don’t hold your breath.
Politics is expensive. It is very difficult for a challenger to beat an incumbent in a party primary. because the challenger gets little or no support from the party. For this to happen, the voters in that incumbent’s district have to be REALLLY teed off at him. And, you have to primary out the current Republican congressmen in order to break the log jamb. That is going to be extremely difficult to do. Running third party candidates against Republicans will likely result in Democrats taking those seats, which does nothing to help the populous.
Then you have the Siren effect, in Congress. This is where idealistic candidates get elected and, once in office, fall prey to the siren song of lobbyists and other sources of enrichment. By the end of the freshman’s term, he looks exactly like everyone else on the hill.
Yes, that’s the mantra of oh how many past elections. I would suggest that, with the election of Donald Trump, there just may be a momentum which hasn’t previously existed. Also, I think at least some of the incumbents may be more vulnerable than in the past. And, as I indicated, now is the time to act. No waiting to see what they’ll do. They’ve already told us.
For sure, any attempt will be an uphill battle as we recall the words of ole’ We’ll-crush-the-Tea-Party-Mitch-McConnell. Then, again, did we learn anything from 2016?
Agree, but I think McConnell’s an important ally now. Since Trump took office and hired his wife into the Cabinet, he’s been 100% an ally.
Cantor
Who admits the promise to repeal was a charade. See http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/07/omg-eric-cantor-admits-gop-promise-repeal-obamacare-lie/
It’s based on a big ball of yarns, not limited to medical care, that people fear will unwind with progressive force.
That said, then there are overlapping and convergent interests. Take the wars in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Ukraine, etc.
This is why my screen name is Dejectedhead. I’m all too aware of the BS parade.
I don’t think these people realize they’re riding a tiger, and that anger can and will turn on them if they don’t deliver on this. This isn’t something you can have perpetually out there to keep votes and donations coming.
Republicans, you *can’t* have the problem, you *must* have a solution.
Surprise, surprise, surprise!!!
I wonder if there is any way to cancel Congresses gold plate health plan? Something through Administrative action maybe?
Obama gave Congress a small business waiver for Obamacare, even though they are neither small nor a business. Trump could literally end this exemption tomorrow but he either doesn’t know he can or doesn’t want to.
You don’t think Trump endorsed McCain in 2016 out of the goodness in his heart, did you? The GOPe bought him off. The only reason he’s attacking Jeff Flake is out of personal pique.
Look for Trump to be nearly silent in the primaries.
Nobody in Congress is so poor that he’d have any difficulty paying for his health care, no matter how crummy and overpriced the insurance system becomes. So any such executive action by Trump would be ineffective. It would also be perceived as something between Carteresque micro-managing and Obamaesque petulance. A loser all around.
Yes, you don’t punish the people you want to be your allies. Especially not when all the Dems are in resist mode.
If Congress can’t repeal Obamacare, while Trump shows the willingness to sign just about anything they pass, it’s all on Congress.
So frustrating. As a Republican in CA, it is scary. We can punish these Rs, but it only enables democrats. But left to themselves and unpunished they act like democrats – damned no matter what.
You have to keep at it.
Imagine the times of World War II, and what courage it took to persevere in the dark, early times of the war when the Nazi juggernaut seemed invincible and American impotent
(Thanks, Franklin Roosevelt, for deepening the depression, and decimating the military, literally inviting the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor. Only the war got America out of the depression – not Roosevelt or his leftist, idiotic policies.)
The only thing now we have to fear, is the deep state itself and the rats of the GOPe. Vote them out.
Primary them, then be prepared to vote 3rd party if the establishment crooks win the nomination.
You can either have a lot of pain for a short time, or you can keep getting regular beatings forever.
In modern American politics, third party is the path to oblivion. Trump came as close as seems possible to breaking the current two-party straightjacket, but he did it by changing one of the existing parties, at least as far as one person can do so. Bernie essentially tried to do the same thing with the Dems.
A one party state already is oblivion and dictatorship. When election results no longer change policies, then the whole concept of electoral politics becomes moot. Mention was made by another commenter about perservering like in WW-II. If in WW-II, the British had been able to catch “Lord Haw-Haw”, DeGaulle could have caught Pierre Laval, or we could have caught Tokyo Rose; would they have been given a pass because in theory they were respectively British, French, or American? Or would they have been treated like they were at the end of the war, but much sooner and much more finality?
Primary OK, with a candidate who has a chance if he/she gets to the general.
In the general, vote Republican. It’s just that simple.
And if that Republican is another RINO, you will have nobody to blame but yourself. You weren’t willing to bite the bullet.
GOPe is hoping conservatives will act like a beaten wife… voting again and again because the GOPe promises to reform. Literally handed an unexpected trifecta of executive and legislative control of both Senate and House, the GOPe has finally shown who they really answer to…. their financial benefactors. Just like the minorities on the Left, the GOPe thinks they have their voters over a barrel. Re-election and personal financial gain are the only game… the long game of retaining the Republic is not in the cards.
The only way out is to starve the GOPe, while lavishly funding conservatives.
Remember: It worked with botting canter out, it worked with boehner running for the hills, and finally, it worked in electing The Donald.
Don’t give up hope: just realize the GOPe are rats in conservative clothing – and primary them, primary them, primary them out.
It took a long time to get us here – it’s take a little time to get us out.
Just imagine if the GOPe had its way and a hack like Jeb! Bush ran against hillary clinton? We’d be running for our lives.
Trump is us. We are Trump. (Minus the billions.)
This is a first step. It’s what people in TheLastRefuge do. Fund candidates, not parties. Not only that, when the parties come along asking for money, make them understand this.
We’re going to take out as many squishes and Dems as we can and then try again in 2018. If that doesn’t work, we’ll take out more squishes and Dems and try again in 2020.
This will continue until Obamacare is gone, and so are the squishes.
Obamacare can’t go away? Don’t give me that BS. There was a time when people thought the Roman Empire would last forever. Nothing lasts forever. There will be a day when Obamacare no longer exists. Why not tomorrow?
We got our Supreme Court pick. Its not all bad.
I’d rather pay out of pocket for my medical expenses than pay some shit bag insurance company on the hope they pay a portion of a medical bill. Cheaper in the long run.
Primary the Republicrats that voted no. Mine did as I expected.
I knew it would never go away. Too much lobbying money involved. I’m with Reagan…the answer to every failed govt program is another equally disastrous govt program.
Just watch…the next step will be to throw more $$$ at O-are.
Oh and good luck trying to get rid of Murkowski and McCain
McCain’s days are numbered. He’s not going to be in the Senate a year from now. He’s almost 81 with an aggressive form of cancer.
I agree [and rejoice] that McCain’s days are numbered. But you do realize that Governor Ducey will probably appoint Meghan McCain to the seat when he dies. Got to keep the dynasty going and got to make sure that the GOPe does not stop protecting Democrats.
This is Trump’s responsibility, to starve the beast, until Congress puts it out of its misery.
I suppose they could take the “death by a thousand paper-cuts” approach with it.
A law that prohibits changing or amending Obamacare.
A law that prohibits any form of bailout / subsidy to rescue Obamacare.
A law that automatically repeals Obamacare in any state where there is only one insurer. (Last October, it was reported 4 states had only one insurer – seems like anti-trust / monopoly considerations ought make this one a no-brainer).
I’m sure there are other creative ways of boxing Obamacare in to quarantine and suffocate the damn thing.
Gruber, Rhodes – barely hold a candle to the lyin’ Republican p***ks. Can’t say I’m particularly surprised.
Meanwhile, out of the clear blue sky, came my new health insurance increase from United Healthcare. I am on no mess at all. I only see a doctor for wellness visits twice a year.My premium is $600 per month and my deductible is $5000. I spend $12,000 per year on health insurance before they pay a dime. Such a deal.
Repealing the mandate will have the effect of showing that the CBO’s “estimate” of ~22 million losing coverage is complete nonsense.
Its based almost entirely on their ludicrous belief that those people will voluntarily choose to go without coverage if the mandate is repealed.
So, repeal the mandate and 1) see what happens, and the CBO will be proved horribly wrong, as usual, and 2) All future repeal efforts will have a more realistic CBO estimate because the mandate will already be gone.
Actually about that many people would lose their coverage, if the ACA was repealed and/or defunded. Virtually all of the people on extensded Medicaid, which would end and those receiving federal subsidies through the exchanges would most likely lose theirs as well. Why? For the very reason that people are screaming for repeal; they can not afford the premiums now. The assumption that everyone makes is that the healthcare insurance industry will immediately jump in with affordable healthcare insurance policies which will provide low co-pays and small deductibles. However, this is by no means guaranteed. If the pool of insured declines this increases the cost to insure those remaining. Even if the coverage is reduced, this does not affect the rates of those who are getting more comprehensive coverage today and wish to keep it.
What removing the government from subsidizing healthcare is that healthcare costs would come down. This would take a while and some people would suffer, but the market would force healthcare costs to adjust downward. However, as long as Medicare and Medicaid exist, this is not going to happen, to any significant degree.
However, as long as Medicare and Medicaid exist, this is not going to happen
Medicaid and Medicare will not distort market forces seriously IF the fraction of the population which qualifies for coverage under either is small.
Repealing the mandate and the device tax will do very little, because those aren’t Obamacare’s drivers of insurance costs. Regulatory mandates are, specifically what and who must be covered. I’m not sure that insurance prices would fall much even if Obamacare were repealed tomorrow, because the insurance companies will see it as something that could change in a heartbeat so they’ll be loathe to change anything.
Utterly pathetic. Just ungodly level of disappointing.
Cucks. Cowards.
I really think the clueless, out of touch “ruling elites / establishment” DO NOT understand the level of ANGER they are creating in the whole country that does not exist inside the beltway !
Each and every senator who voted to keep Obama care should be premaried out and replaced next year (if possible). You need to get people in to the Senate who remember just who they are supposed to be representing (here’s a clue, not the DC swamp constituents who profit from things like Barry care!).
True, too many Repubs don’t want to eliminate Obamacare. But we already knew that. Trump has been criticized for not providing “leadership” on this issue, but leadership isn’t really the problem. These Senate horses know perfectly well where the water is, and they don’t need anyone to lead them to it; they need someone to force them to not just drink, but jump in. And the only ways to do that are with carrots, or sticks; bribes, or threats.
But was this bill worth such a fight? Despite the claims, it wasn’t a “clean” repeal bill. The poison pill is the “delay”; such a thing sounds reasonable, but only superficially. The delay would be intended to keep Obamacare in place while Congress figures out a “replacement”—i.e., Obamacare II. And since smart money says that they’ll never figure out an acceptable Obamacare II (acceptable to both the Congress and to the poor shmoes who have to actually live with, and pay for, the thing), that means this fraudulent “clean repeal” would, functionally, repeal nothing. Rather it would cement it even further into place.
Excellent article Kemberlee. The only thing that would make it better would be the dumpster fire graphic.
Dishonest, corrupt and now so smug are Cantor/Boehner who are safely tucked away with their pensions and in Cantor’s case in his lobby haunt….don’t you know Ryan, etal, have Cantor on speed dial for any open positions….and for the current GOPe gang each and every one knew the Repeal/Replace didn’t stand a chance nor did they even want it to pass as all 100/435 and staff are exempt from the ACA failures…Ryan and McConnell are absolute lying creeps….let the damn public eat crumbs….Term Limits? ..hah…Convention of the States…remotely possible….what’s left for these two dishonest legislative bodies….Revolution at the Ballot Box?…unlikely…..By Executive Order, The Donald should cancel out all Capitol Hill exemptions to OCare…..
Now that I’ve had time to get caught with yesterday’s events, it is clear that we have to kill any efforts to pass whatever these criminals plan on cramming down our throats. They had a chance to vote on a clean repeal for one last time and now that they have a president who would have signed it, the Republicans tucked their tails in and scurried off like rats. Let’s get going with primary challenges ASAP.
There is no point wasting anymore time. McCain came right out made his hateful and obnoxious little speech telling the world what he thought about the voters. Now let’s make it clear what we think about he and his rat friends.
Noe that the Repubs. ( RINOS ) Can no longer hide, WE WILL REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. You and your ” K,” St. friends, who are consistently screwing the American Voters. We must get term limits for all offices. We must get the rule ( One way or another ) that all LAWS, passed by Congress, must include Congress as well.
Repeal Mitch McConnell #RepealMcConnell
future election cycles will get uglier.
Since it no longer matters who wins the elections because nothing changes, future elections may become irrelevant.
“Just not possible”
We cant stand toe to toe against the MSM. They are too powerful. So roll with the cheap shots and do the groveling apology tour. And if someone gets too hot just throw them under the bus. We are the experts, better a strategic retreat than a rout – John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell.
…the base goes home to “spend more time with family”. The GOP caves and ditches good men to impress the likes of Chris Mathews…
CNN is a bunch of liars. Fake news. Sad. – Donald Trump
…crowd goes wild, CNN self-implodes…
This is why I hate people like John McCain. CNN was always just a paper tiger, but the leaders of the Republican Party enabled the big lie for decades.
And then Trump came and everyone is still trying to figure out the new dynamic. And here heads may explode, but Ronald Reagan did the same thing with the Cold War