Posted on 08/10/2017 3:46:27 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer
Subsidizing Failure: For seven years Republicans have solemnly promised to abolish the financially crumbling ObamaCare law. But now that they have struck out, many in the GOP are working behind closed doors to bail out the very program they say they hate.
If they moderate wing of the party prevails and rescues the ObamaCare entitlement, the law will be permanently enshrined into the federal budget only to eat up more tax dollars year after year.
What is worse, the deal the Republican surrender caucus is negotiating does almost nothing to actually roll back ObamaCare, provide consumers with more choices, or lower insurance costs.
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate cannot believe his good fortune — which is why he is grinning ear to ear like a Cheshire Cat.
One of the Republicans who has fallen into the bipartisanship trap is Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who runs the Health Committee. He has announced that he is working behind closed doors with the Democrats to "stabilize the insurance market." This is a euphemism for a taxpayer funded bail out.
The technical term for what the left is seeking is federal funding for a "reinsurance" program that puts taxpayers on the hook for ObamaCare losses. We subsidize the coverage, we punish people if they don't buy it, and some 10 millions Americans still have decided they don't want it, so we have to provide a safety net to the insurance industry.
How much would it cost? The liberal Center for American Progress, John Podesta's group, estimates that a $14 billion infusion of tax dollars will do the trick — as an opening bid. It seems only yesterday Obama was solemnly promising that his health law wouldn't cost taxpayers a penny.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
They can’t repeal it. They can’t replace it. All they can do, in typical Congressional fashion, is pour more money into it.
They didn’t strike out, oh swampy IBD, they sat there and refused to swing and took strike three like the 1919 Blacksox.
Subsidizing Failure ... In Government, it’s not a failure, it’s underfunded (P.J. O’Rourke)
Trump needs one more SCOTUS appointment to make certain that a new Obamacare case will end by declaring it unconstitutional.
That is how he will kill it off.... and Roberts won’t be able to stop it.
'Obamacare was doing just fine until the Republicans made changes. They broke it.'
Way to go, guys. If I didn't have to live with the consequences of Republican inaction and stupidity, I'd find it amusing. Believe me -- I'm not laughing...
“One of the Republicans who has fallen into the bipartisanship trap is Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who runs the Health Committee. He has announced that he is working behind closed doors with the Democrats to “stabilize the insurance market.” This is a euphemism for a taxpayer funded bail out.”
What’s wrong with Tennessee that they have two feckless turds as Senators? Corker “The Dwarf” and Lamar are both a disgrace.
Good analogy.
My take is working people are paying twice...once in their paycheck via Medicare and again as a penalty. Double taxation by any measure.
It's pretty obvious that the insurance companies have congress in their hip pockets, and a government bailout is one of the things they've been aiming for.
Too close too NC with our 2 major RINO Burr and Tillis?
Here is the “unintentional consequence” (which when understood one realizes it was not unintentional at all, just implicit). Some years back (10) I spent some time working in a metropolitan ER with other docs. 50 or so beds. After a few weeks I asked one of the docs, “What’s up with you guys sending everyone home with Dilaudid?” I have always been very careful with narcotic prescriptions as I never wanted any questions from the DEA or State Board. The guy took me aside and said, “Look, I have to worry about my ‘patient evaluations’. If these people go home po’d that they didn’t get some Dilaudid or OxyContin as a ‘goodbye gift’ they will file a complaint.”
My response was “muh ethics, man”. His was take your ethics and consider finding a new job, the expense of relocation or just handing out Percs like candy. He chose to be a candy man. I didn’t. He is still making $250K per year. I ain’t.
Add to this that the social workers in the ER know how to sign up “the pour” for social benefits so the Hospital can get reimbursed. Duh, it’s their JOB. So when homeless, illegal, wtf ever signs in to the ER for their hangnail they get signed up for free social benefits (uh, 0bamacare) and leave with reward, 20 or 30 Dilaudid in their hot little hand. Not a Rx but an actual bottle full of pills.
But we are expected to believe this socially engineered Rube Goldberg gas ovens tier device was an “unintended consequence”. Really?
Same in NC with Sen Blurr and Sen Tillis (the one with the head injury) - the idiot jr Sen...neither represent the wishes of NC citizen who elected them. Both want to remove TRUMP! Both must have black mail issues and have lined their pockets with dirty soros money and are doing the demo’s devil’s work with their committee and bill to tie Trump’s hand on being President! Tillis really knows how to pick loser friend’s Coons from MD, just as bad as schmer and the idiot comedian and blurr can’t find anything to investigate on the demo side only Trump. Shameful you b*sdards, shameful!
Sorry. I have been lurking too much 4chan.
Tennessee is red meaning Republican. Tennessee is Republican but not Conservative. That means from the conservative view point, Tennesseans are moderate rather than conservative.
Conservatives run but are always defeated.
And think about this, now we have leftwards trying to hang the blame for an “opioids crisis” on drug companies. But 0bamacare socially engineered to reward “the pour” for flocking to ERs to be signed up for 0bamacare with, uh, OxyContin. Insurance companies had to know but realized “astronomical profits with no downside”. A bigger taxpayer funded guarantee than Fannie and Freddie. And now the GOP is gonna let them have a “second scoop”. Incredible.
If it reaches Trump’s desk he will sign it.
Intriguing point, but as Chief Justice, can't Roberts simply not allow a vote to hear the case if it came forward? (Assuming no lesser court ruled to strike down the law.)
Not certain Roberts could block a vote...but if he can then Trump would engineer a route to SCOTUS that ran through a sympathetic lower court.
Trump ain’t stupid, he’s a conniving NYC SOB from way back.
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