Why should the Republicans try to pull Obamacare’s fat out of the fire by correcting some of its most anger-provoking consequences?
DrewM at Ace of Spades HQ asks a Good question:
The GOP has to be seen doing something. That’s just reality. Millions of people who played by the rules are losing their insurance and quite possibly their doctors as well. It’s simply not an option for a political party to say, “Wow, that sucks for you. Should have voted for us, huh?”. Campaigns are about generating future support, not punishing voters for past lack of support…
Could this all go south and wind up with the GOP sharing blame for Obama’s failure? Theoretically, yes. But doing nothing isn’t risk free either.
I’ve pondered this question ever since I heard that Republicans had suggested a Keep Your Health Plan Act to undo the cancellations and make Obama stick to his promises.
Why interrupt your enemy when he might already be occupied in effectively destroying himself? Then again, people are suffering, and a failure to help them will not endear Republicans to anyone except the most die-hard tough-love advocates.
And the majority of the people whose policies are being cancelled probably didn’t even support Obamacare in the first place.
However, it’s not at all clear that attempts to “fix” Obamacare with a Keep Your Health Plan Act would be possible to implement at this late date, now that so many policies have already been cancelled. Trying to reinstate the policies would also tend to conjure up the problem the cancellations were meant to forestall in the first place: the tendency of the exchanges to appeal to the sicker and older rather than attracting the younger and healthier.
And wouldn’t Obama be likely to veto such a bill?
As a result of all this turmoil, a political party is having a civil war — and for a change it’s not the Republicans.
Actually, what’s going on with the Democrats seems to be less a civil war than the venting of long-pent-up anger at the president on the part of Democrats who feel they’ve been burned by him. Obama has never been known for his good relationships with those on Capitol Hill, not even the Democrats there. He’s been arrogant and stand-offish to them, too, as well as to the Republicans.
So, will Obama cave in to his party’s demands, given that he really doesn’t give a hoot about them, and no longer needs them in order to get re-elected?
Of course, he can’t get more legislation passed without the support of Democratic members of Congress. But perhaps he’s content to rest on his laurels in terms of his “transformative” legislative accomplishments (such as Obamacare), and will just continue to go around Congress by more executive orders in the future.
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I don’t see how any of these legislative “fixes” can even work. The insurance companies have already cancelled those plans to comply with the law as of Jan. 1, 2014. There ain’t no way they can get them back up and running (and cleared by the various state Insurance Commissioners) before January 1.
The Republican House wants to do a Retain Your Healthcare Policy bill but that makes no sense. The existing policies have.already.been.cancelled.
. . . and we can’t put the genie back into the bottle.
The only thing that needs to be done is to refuse to vote on whatever bill that Dingy Harry Reid sends over from his Senate – what is good for the goose . . .
The existing policies have.already.been.cancelled.
PERIOD!
I saw it as a good-faith effort to either start on a fix or repeal. The Dems refused. Mmmkay, now let the Dems “fix” it themselves.
The business IQ of this is non existent.
Even if it could be achieved it would mean that virtually no one would buy the new centrally approved ones except for the desperate for 2 years.
Perverse incentives, all up and down.
LOVING THIS!
Well, yeah but Drew M is not representative of the AoSHQ “community”. He’s a bit of an outlier leaning toward the RINO/Establishment wing.
IF they just go through the motions and let the Democrats shuffle and mumble and fumble their way to defeating such a bill then sure go right ahead but success would entail an HUGE tax burden as it would allow the Insurance companies to be reimbursed by the Federal Government (that’s YOU and ME BTW) and would break the bank and all just to save Obama’s bacon.
I’d make him and Reid and Pelosi Beg and take back all the mean and lying things they’ve said about conservatives, the TEA party and Republicans during the term of this mess.
And they’d have to do it on National TV.
Then and only then do they get a “rescue”. And we make sure everyone knows it’s a rescue and who’s doing it.
The Republicans should be saying:
Unfortunately we have been blocked at every turn — the President even shut down the government to force this through. Sadly, we are left with little option but to go forward with the plan for 2014, should the administration ever get it’s website up and running.
But we want to prevent this from spreading from the 5 million or so with individual policies to the 50 million or so who will lose their employer-based policies in 2015.
So, we have this here legislation, which accomplishes several of the goals of the President’s program but in a simple and straightforward manner.
And then repeal and replace.
Something like this. Republicans cannot sit back and watch, or they will have no place at the table when it’s time to do something better. They have to do the best they can now. Explain the principles of allowing free markets to do what they can, and using other programs to do what free markets cannot do (but which will be more feasible, financially, if we allow free markets to set prices). Use short-term bandaids as needed. Repubs don’t all have to speak with one voice or agree on a single program now (one of the worst kinds of reform is comprehensive reform) but they need to be making these things part of the national discussion. Otherwise they are out.
I would nominate this plan.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/22/carson-a-better-alternative-to-obamacare/
The Repubs have advanced other ideas. I happen to like this one, and the link was handy.
*its
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
As far as barryboy, he very well could EO himself into impeachment and conviction of high crimes and misdemeanors.
I don’t understand, why can’t Obama just suspend the regulations which are forcing insurance companies to cancel policy’s? As I understand it they were put into the regulations by request from Obama to appease the insurance industry.
There are only 100K enrollees. If they stop enrolling any more in Obama care, lift the regulations and have the insurance companies re-issue those canceled policies that were negotiated in a free market system, why can’t that work?
Wether it works or not it is the wrong thing to do. We must rid ourselves of this ObamaCare.
Repeal and replece with doctor/patient centered free market solutions should be the only thing Republicans support.
2 weeks ago these same people were calling us terrorists,racists. ETC. – They dug this hole – let them be buried in it ! NO! lifeline for these lying, thieving demonrats!
It’s a problem of governance. “Let it burn” is not a viable plan.
Good point. But this might be a fire that cannot be extinguished. And if there are any productive solutions to this problem, I can’t imagine any that would be congruent with Obama’s inflexible ideology.
Repeal it, or indefinitely nullify all its mandates. Maybe let them subsidize “pre-existing conditions” for now.
We have the high ground. Our motto should be: If you like your freedom, you can have your freedom. PERIOD.
“Wow, that sucks for you. Should have voted for us, huh?”
Well, that does work for me. Let the idiots reap what they sow.
GOP needs to quickly and quietly recollect and polish up all their healthcare reform proposals of recent years and update them if needed to accommodate a crashed and burning Obamacare. Have a plan READY and on the shelf.
GOP needs to go lightly with the Upton or Landrieu bill, because neither solves anything. The feds can’t ‘order’ the insurance companies to reestablish the cancelled policies, as the Landrieux bill does, and they’ll ignore the Upton bill which does not force the insurance companies. All either bill does for the GOP is force Dems to vote in support of resetting policies or once again in support of cancelling policies. It’s a wedge bill, but now ain’t the time. It could also be seen as GOP ‘playing politics’ (as if that game isn’t played 24/7 since forever).
GOP needs to get on the air and on the ground and:
(1) identify in simple terms how Obamacare doesn’t and can’t work and that we don’t have years to fix it – if a fix is even possible.
(2) pitch the GOP plan to manage the situation, taking the reform package off the shelf and pitching it again.
(3) point out how the GOP has been trying to stop the Obamacare train wreck since the moment it passed.
(4) point out that the GOP needs the Senate too if this is be permanently fixed.
Short & sweet, keep banging home the four points: Obamacare doesn’t work, we can fix it, we’ve been trying to fix it, we need the Senate to fix it. BAM. Over and over, all over all media.
You beat me by seven minutes 🙂
Excellent. I agree. But zero likelihood. The GOP will rescue Obama because that’s their present psychology of need and identity and self-loathing. They can’t (and I mean in the sense of being actually incapable) do differently.
Drew at AoS makes a good point. As satisfying as it would be at several levels for us to say, “Wow, that sucks for you. Should have voted for us, huh?”, that’s not how political parties turn the tide and win elections.
Whatever conservatives, libertarians, modern whigs, and independents might think, the Republican party (a.k.a., the Stupid Party) needs to be, well, not stupid about this.
A gentle reminder that the Pubs have stood against O-Care all along wouldn’t hurt.
Then put forward ideas and legislation that would begin to fix the worst of it.
Now, now, I’m not going soft, bear with me.
Of COURSE Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Champ himself won’t ever go along with a single one of those proposals. We all know that up front. The point isn’t that the Pubs’ ideas and bills would get passed.
But the Pubs do need to give people a reason to vote FOR them in November, and not just against the Dems (the latter is a plenty good idea but it won’t be sufficient).
Pubs have to stand FOR something. So let the Pubs stand, vocally, continuously, and in every public way possible for these ideas (for example) —
1. Allow people to buy health insurance across state lines.
2. Propose a minimum federal charter (much lower than the ‘bronze’ plan) for that.
3. Propose a more minimal, catastrophic insurance only policy (the ‘copper’ plan) that people could buy if they wanted.
4. Push to delay the employer mandate, all the while reminding everyone that otherwise people with employer-provided insurance (i.e., most of us) will lose that in January 2015. I’d be saying that one REAL loud in front of every TV camera (pretend that you’re getting in-between the camera and Charles Schumer).
5. Propose to broaden HSAs.
I could come up with more but you get the idea.
Stand AGAINST O-Care and at the same time stand FOR a reasonable alternative. Every opportunity. Every spokesperson. Every pol. Buy advertising time in the key Senate and House races. Get the message out there.
You can’t beat something with nothing. But you can beat something with something better.
With all due respect, “A gentle reminder that the Pubs have stood against O-Care all along wouldn’t hurt.” is unhelpful.
The ONLY people that don’t know the GOP has been against Obamacare are people absolutely, hopelessly ill-informed.
The gov. slowdown was all over the news. I mean, you can only help the mentally retarded for so far, then you have to give it up.
I agree, put the GOP proposals in front of the cameras. Maybe the media will actually cover some of that now, instead of ignoring it. There’s lots to say….
You’ll be surprised how many of those “ill-informed” schmucks are out there.The were enough to re-elect Obama!
Go out and ask. The schmucks will tell you that it was the Republicans that shut the government.
The GOP can fix this quickly.
Reach across the aisle and ask Democrats to join a bipartisan venture to repeal Obamacare
If they refuse, then make the first moves without them.
Get it on record…go on all the channels and say it without obfuscating or shaming. Stick to the true principles of conservatism and explain why its better for everyone if we back out of this and go back to the drawing board.
Sympathy . . . nope not even a little. Obamacare was shoved down our throats without the opportunity of ANY input. They demonized any opposition. Dems own it. Full Repeal or nothing.
How do you fix a screwed up 2,000 page law? Certainly not by piling another couple thousand pages of ‘fixes’ on top of it.
Don’t forget how happy the House Democrats were when they voted to destroy health care in America.
http://bluecollarphilosophy.com/2013/11/29985/
Let Obama veto a GOP “fix” to ObamaCare, that should just hurt Democrats even more in 2014.
Good grief. Insurance companies do not make their money off their premiums. They make them off their investments. I am so disappointed in the politicians. They know this is a trick. When a policy is cancelled; it is cancelled. Insurance companies on the other hand do not want to insure older people, disabled or sick people. Also, the baby boomers are the largest group of people out there. What better way to get rid of people than to have a law like ACA; exempting themselves and their friends, of course; etc. ACA is not about health insurance; but it is a good way for both the insurance companies and the government to get rid of the old, the disabled and the sick.
“It’s simply not an option for a political party to say: Wow, that sucks for you. Should have voted for us.
Wrong. It is an option. People need to 1) learn why they should pay more attention to politics and 2) learn why “free” stuff comes at a cost, usually a collar around your neck.
If they don’t learn these things, the Entitlement Crowd will do it all over again.
Its alot like funding your meth-head brother’s lifestyle. You can keep rescuing him by giving him money to cover his mortgage, or you can NOT and watch him lose his house. Painful to go through, but better than being the enabler that lets his meth addiction kill him (and probably drag you and yours down with him).
Politically, its also a VERY BAD IDEA. As soon as the Republicans touch ObamaCare to save it, the Dems and the MSM will spin everything bad that happens as the GOPs fault. They are desperate for ANYTHING that lets them sink their teeth into a “boths sides are responsible for this wreck” meme. And if they can muddy up the waters enough to decieve the Low Information Voters (not hard) then they will pay very little price for this in the midterms.
Having said all that, I fully expect the GOP will charge in and impale themselves with their own swords.
I wish the “GOP helpers” would learn from McCain’s campaign. He spent his career manuevering himself to be the Moderate Maverick. He routinely threw his base under the bus and reached across the aisle to make “reasonable” compromises. The Dems and the MSM gushed at what a “mature statesman” he was. McCain thought all such positioning would be remembered when he ran for POTUS, the the MSM would extend him some good PR. And then they raped him up the ass.
Republicans: Sorry, can’t help. We didn’t pass it so we don’t know what’s in it. We will, however, help you Dems with a vote to eradicate Obama Care.
The replacement will have to come from the insurance marketplace, not from the government, be it Democrat or Republican. I’m sure I don’t have to mention Conservative because anyone with that philosophy would not support government involvement in healthcare, other than in regard to legitimate oversight.
The government should just repeal Obamacare, pass tort reform, allow pre-tax medical savings accounts, and permit insurance to be sold across state lines. All this has been proposed before. There may be other things they can get involved in, but these should eliminate regulation, not impose more of it.
Whatever they do they shouldn’t attempt to “fix” anything. They’re only good at breaking things, as we’ve seen.
As I said before the lamebrained shutdown, the best cure for PPACA is to let it take full effect without interfering in any way. Republican objections are well known: not a single GOP vote for the bill, 39 attempts to repeal passed the House. And even Obama and the Democrats were fond of pointing out our opposition – and Jay Carney still is, even after we were proven right.
I also noted the “delay” effort couldn’t work because of the new Medicaid eligibility and the sick and older enrollees who would be sure to sign up, without the mandate there are no young healthy people paying double premiums to cover all that, plus the subsidies to individuals and the indemnity of insurance companies (limited as it is).
Not to mention Obama had already begun his own death spiral of incompetence over Syria and Iran, our grandstanders stole the spotlight away from the first sustained media scrutiny of his competence.
‘s all right. Just learn from the experience, and listen next time.
Spoken like a guy who won’t be burning with the rest of us.
2 steps back 1/2 a step ahead . GOP definitely lost the VA governorship over the shutdown. – which was not all about the ACA . However like the middle aged GOP men who try & voice belief in the possibile life of those babies heading off to the human waste incinerator – ya gotta make a stand.
I can’t see this ACA thing being off the radar for years. At least they can say – we tried to warn you.
Sometimes that is all you can do.
Rather than this “keep your plan” bull which would basically just open the throttle of the train so it crashes sooner, what the Republicans should do is once again present the outline of the plan they presented back in 2009 that is still archived on CBS’ website here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/GOPHealthPlan_061709.pdf
Basically, just do a repeal and replace. While the details of the plan probably aren’t laid out, since each state would be responsible for making their own plan, there wouldn’t be as much craft in such legislation at the federal level.
Every time a Republican goes on one of those Sunday shows, they ought to turn to the news people there and say “We have been warning of this for years, and you lot kept telling the public we were wrong. Don’t you think you owe the American people an apology and a promise to do better?
Emotionally satisfying but you aren’t going to change the behavior of the MSM, also known as the credentialed wing of the Democratic Party.
Nor are you going to change any votes. Those of us who know that the MSM is a fetid swamp, and that O-Care is simply not going to work, weren’t going to vote Democratic anyway.
If you want to change votes in November 2014 you have to offer an alternative. As I said earlier in this comment thread (and for which I got down-thumbs), you can’t beat something with nothing. You beat something with something better.
Those low-information voters aren’t going to be reached with complaints about the MSM. Champ and DHHS are clearly trying to convince them (witness those Got Insurance? ads) that it’s all about sex and free stuff. That’s what we have to counter.
Chief Justice Roberts must be having a hard time suppressing an ear to ear grin these days. Elections certainly do have consequences.
There’s no difference between the gov’t pushing Obamcare and the gov’t ‘pushing the sale of homes to people who could not afford them via Freddie and Fannie & Barney Frank.
Somebody will pay a price for this debacle. It won’t be JP Morgan Chase this time. Rather it will be the “bad apple” insurance companies.
I would send Sebelius a Cease and Desist Letter due to insurance fraud and/or lack of insurance regulation on the part of the Federal gov’t.
they need to put their objections and reasons why it won’t work on the record then vote present.
force the dems and the voters to live the consequences of the elections. make them own it even more than they do now.
your vote does matter, and here is painful proof that it does.
What happened to “It’s the law”?? Just repeat it back to the Democrats!
Obama expected his legacy would be the introduction of Obamacare. Republicans shouldn’t provide an out for the Democrats until Obama and Biden resign their positions. That would be a legacy that no other President can claim.
Repeat: Prepare a fix plan, pound the media rock offering that fix, point out the need for a GOP Senate to fix it, but otherwise offer nothing but verbal solicitude as each new Obamacare screw-up emerges. (“Oh, dear. A death spiral. How awful for you Dems. Perhaps it’s time to look at GOP alternative plans? We could have Obamacare out of the news cycle within six months.”)
Most important is that the GOP must get their alternative plan out there on the air. As this mess gets uglier, America will be looking for a choice.
I meant to add you won’t find a better opportunity for bipartisanship during this administration than reaching out to Democrats ready to jump the Obama ship over Obamacare and all the other O-baggage collecting.