Joe Henderson
If the ruling by a federal judge in Texas that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional holds up, Republicans will officially own whatever passes for health insurance in this country.
If we have something called Trumpcare, Harrumphcare, Chumpcare, or, more likely, I-Don’t-Care (do you?), it’s all theirs.
The way GOP members, including President Donald Trump, celebrated the news was basically an open window into what they think about this issue. They say they’ll come up with something better, but they won’t. They still don’t have a clue what to do if the ACA finally passes away, and they don’t seem interested in finding out.
That’s because I believe they have nothing but loathing for the whole concept. They don’t believe health care insurance is a basic right of citizenship. If you can afford it, fine. Most of them can afford it.
But if you can’t, you should have been born with more money or found a way to make it — especially in Florida.
Outgoing Attorney General Pam Bondi was a vigorous opponent of the ACA, as was outgoing Governor and incoming U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.
If there is nothing resembling a national health insurance plan going forward, that’s fine by them. After giving tax breaks that benefitted billionaires a whole more than the rest of the country, they blew a canyon-sized hole in the deficit.
So, they’ll say we can’t afford the things that Obamacare mandated — providing basic preventive services, covering pre-existing conditions, and so on.
If someone with cancer loses coverage and can’t find new insurance because insurance giants don’t have to accept them, Republicans should spare everyone the crocodile tears. They would own it, folks.
Funny thing, though.
Five states Trump carried in 2016 — West Virginia, Kentucky, North Dakota, Michigan and Ohio — are among the top nine states that could be most adversely affected by the repeal of Obamacare. Pennsylvania is No. 12.
Trump won because he carried those states. He cannot win again without them. If millions of people lose health coverage and the airwaves are filled with images of sick and dying children and desperately poor people being denied lifesaving treatment because they can’t afford insurance, he’ll blame the Democrats.
No dice, big man.
Republicans fundamentally have resented the notion of being forced to buy insurance, even if it’s for the common good. Their idea of freedom from government control trumps (pun intended) someone else’s need for chemotherapy.
It’s a pattern that we see throughout the gun debate, or taxes, or just about anything. To paraphrase Mr. Spock from Star Trek, they live by the creed that the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many — especially with health care.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio danced to the GOP tune, noting in a statement, “The ruling against Obamacare, on behalf of Florida and others, serves as a stark reminder of the millions of Americans who are suffering under the law. Americans should have the ability to buy a health plan that meets their needs, rather than what Washington tells them.”
Psst, Senator?
The “ability to BUY a health care plan” is precisely the point. The people being helped most by the ACA, listen closely, CAN’T AFFORD THE KIND OF INSURANCE YOU HAVE!!
I’m just saying.
Rubio loves to quote the Bible on Twitter all the time, so here’s one for you Senator. Matthew 25-40 quotes Jesus as saying, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
A former Republican state lawmaker once lamented to me that he hated that people thought the GOP was the party of “mean.”
Well, when Republicans take a victory lap over a court ruling that could cause millions of Americans to lose their health care coverage, what is anyone supposed to think?
3 comments
Raymond Blacklidge
December 17, 2018 at 4:30 am
Joe,
Like most liberals your comments are nothing but twisted, divisive, politically motivated, same old hateful words. Give unto Caesar that which is Caesars and that which is God’s unto God. Obamacare hurt a lot of people. It wasn’t the great saving grace it was touted to be.
Charles Harrison
December 17, 2018 at 8:15 am
The ACA was unConstitutional from the get-go. The Supremes ruled it WAS Constitutional—probably because if they had ruled it unConstitutional they would have to go back an rule that Social Security is unconstitutional–which it is. BOTH are Communism. The federal judge “outblonded the blonde (SCOTUS)” by taking the argument that since there is no mandate, it is now unconstitutional. Nothing could be further from the truth! The mandate is what made it unconstitutional to begin with! ACA is now voluntary, not mandatory. So, that itself makes it okay. Now, no one is forcing you against your will to buy a healthcare plan. Ronald Reagan warned us years ago not to accept socialized medicine. He was right. It is nothing but Communism and outs a financially irresponsible government in charge of your health care! Violates common sense to let the government manage your personal business or your healthcare……..btw, government needs to stop trying to micro-manage Americans lives and ignore the Constitution!
PrayThroughHistory
December 19, 2018 at 10:27 am
I think choice is increased by eliminating a system based on a mandate with a penalty. What if one is penalized for abortion, sex reassignment, rehab etc. ? Can you relate that people don’t want a penalty for buying an inferior product? Thanks!
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