Everywhere I hear and everywhere I read, it says this bill cannot be ‘repealed’...WHY can’t it be repealed??? What law did the libs do when only they passed this bill put in there that can’t let this be repealed???
That’s the question I want answered!!!
You have to read the convoluted history of what unfolded in 2009/2010.
They got bills passed that were budget relevant and involved healthcare, then Kennedy died and they no longer had 60 votes. They THOUGHT they would get a Dem replacement into his seat, but Scott Brown won that seat. So they were forced to get the necessary modifications in that were Obamacare via Reconciliation, that requires only 50 votes.
They had to strain and contort, but because they used a budget bill that had healthcare aspects, they were able to get their plan past the Parliamentarian. Reconciliation can ONLY involve budget matters.
So Ryan is forced in his proposal to address only budget matters, because he knows what happens when it reaches the Senate.
He can’t REPEAL. That’s not strictly budget. He can’t ALLOW INSURANCE ACROSS STATE LINES. That’s not strictly budget. What he can do is reduce the individual mandate fine for not having insurance to zero. He can reduce the money available for Medicaid expansion. That’s strictly budget. He does all he can do within the constraints the Senate puts on him. He’s doing this SMARTER than Pelosi did.
She proposed all sorts of bizarre crap that could not even get past Senate Dems. So in the end they didn’t get what she wanted. They got Obamacare.
And they had 59 votes.
We have only 52. Ryan has done spectacular work in this bill. He guts every possible Reconciliation channel of Obamacare imaginable. If people want more, fine. Propose text that fits in Reconciliation.
Very few do. They prefer to rant instead.