Posted on 04/02/2017 4:48:29 AM PDT by Kaslin
For eight years, I have joined my colleagues in the fight to repeal and replace the train wreck that is Obamacare. This was the call heard around the nation for years, particularly leading up to President Trump's historic victory. We promised the American people that if they supported us, help would be on the way. As a conservative, I believe that the federal government should have a limited role in our personal lives, including health care. As a cancer patient, I knew the importance of getting this bill right and replacing Obamacare with a patient-centered solution that also ensures access to care for the nearly 30 percent of Americans with pre-existing conditions. But as the American Health Care Act teetered on the edge of a cliff, it was the Freedom Caucus that helped give it the final push.
How did we get here?
A little history. The truth is that while most Americans had no idea what the Freedom Caucus was until a few weeks ago when it became the official opposition to the Obamacare replacement plan, this group has quietly existed for a while. Two years ago, the most conservative members of the House – myself included – banded together to force leadership to give conservatives a seat at the table when negotiating major legislation. Our goal was to advance the most conservative agenda possible in Congress and give a voice to our constituents who felt that they did not have one. Until this year, we faced a president who opposed everything we stood for, and a leadership that excluded us. This year, that changed.
From start to finish, Speaker Ryan has gone out of his way to be inclusive, and President Trump literally brought us to the table, listening to our concerns, agreeing to some of the group’s demands, and changing the bill to be more conservative. The caucus asked for major concessions, and the bill was changed to include some of them. At a meeting at the White House, the president even agreed to change what is considered Essential Health Benefits by amending the bill to allow states to make that decision. But the goalpost kept moving further and further down the field. It became clear to me that no matter what was included and changed, the answer would still be no. That’s why I left the Freedom Caucus even though I agree with them on most issues and consider them my friends. The bill wasn’t perfect – no piece of legislation is – but it was absolutely far better than Obamacare. Like it or not, the reality of the makeup of the House and Senate is that if you demand a purist repeal of Obamacare, it will die on the floor. This was our chance to make meaningful change.
The Freedom Caucus served as a check on a liberal administration and former House leadership that repeatedly compromised with Democrats. Times have changed. Republicans – mostly conservatives – control it all now. It is our time to lead. It is our time to unify and deliver on the promises that we made for years. Those calling for otherwise have been in Washington long enough to know that you do not get everything you want in any bill.
We can no longer allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. The American Health Care Act included major conservative reforms. It would have repealed the individual and employer mandates, reduced taxes, expanded health savings accounts, ensured access to coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, and allowed young adults to stay on their parents’ plan. It would have also defunded Planned Parenthood. Overall, this bill would have accomplished much of what we have been seeking all along, and the administration had committed to push forward what couldn’t be done in this bill separately.
I want to be part of the conservative majority that delivers solutions. Americans voted for solutions. Americans voted for help to make their lives easier and more affordable. We must give them the solutions they demand, that they deserve, and that we promised. I am encouraged that conversations have restarted within the House Republican Conference, and I hope that we can all get on the same page in the hymnal and produce a bill that delivers on our promise to the American people.
And that’s just the way it is.
A lot of words that end up saying nothing.
Paul Ryan for Speaker.
“I wish I knew what HFC stood for.”
Hillary’s Freedom Caucus.
Congressman Poe:
More than 40 times the US House of Representatives voted to flat-out REPEAL Obamacare while Obama was in the White House.
That wasn't just the Freedom Caucus voting to repeal it, Moderate Republicans also voted en-masse to REPEAL Obamacare lock, stock and stinking barrel.
So who really kept moving the goalpost? The Freedom Caucus who simply wanted to re-introduce the EXACT SAME BILL that Republican members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of more than 40 times, or those in the Republican Party who insisted on NOT doing just that and instead opted to create a 100+ page addendum to Obamacare attempting to "fix" what was broken in it and leave Obamacare in place?
Sir, it is not the Freedom Caucus who kept moving the goalpost. It is people like YOU in the US House of Representatives who insist on breaking your promise to REPEAL Obamacare.
Period. The fact that this country is now stuck with Obamcare as it gets more and more entrenched into our daily lives is on YOU, sir.
I am NOT happy and I'll see you at the polls in November 2018. It's not the Conservative's in the Freedom Caucus that are going to be the targets, YOU and those like you are.
Respectfully,
A Hard Working, Tax Paying American
(Who's sick and damn' tired of footing the bills for the leeches, mooches and losers in our society.)
Amen. Anything short of freedom is slavery.
Nowhere in Poe’s screed does he mention “purchasing insurance across state lines”. This concept is like a cyanide pill to the health industry (hospitals, doctors, research industry. pharma manufacturer’s). Poe and his republican pals just sold out after promising to REPEAL and REPLACE to get elected. It’s as simple as that.
LOL. I have bad news for you. The chairman of the Freedom Caucus just changed his position again (3rd time in 2 weeks) and is ready to support Ryancare if community rating gets scraped:
Well, so much for “standing on principle”.
My former rep is in the kamikaze caucus and is as big a climbing careerist as there is in the beltway. His membership greatly reduces my enthusiasm for the group.
The idea the FC are immaculate conservatives looking out for pure conservativism and us is ridiculous. They are beltway swampers just like the rest. No need for the GOP and POTUS to die on this hill for them, IMO.
Far worse was the RyanCare plan. Democrats own 0bamacare. RyanCare takes the Dems off the hook.
That right there is EXACTLY what those who are NOT in the Freedom Caucus should be branded: The Kamikaze Caucus!
That's just brilliant! That's exactly what they're doing, they're crashing their political careers right into the sides of the American People taking us all out with this "save Obamacare/mend it don't end it" nonsense!
You won’t be missed!!!
I totally disagree. 320,000 babies killed each year on my dime if OCare continues.
THAT...by itself...makes all the difference to me.
They should have gone for a full repeal and let the Dems in the Senate turn the fight into a national issue. Even if it had actually been defeated in the Senate, the point is to make them fight and reveal themselves for all to see. 70-80% of people want the blasted O-care to go.
Do what you promised WE THE PEOPLE as you ran for election and reelection. THAT IS ALL WE ASKED FOR. No more compromises, we have suffered for eight hellish years, maybe even 16 if you want to be branded a real conservative.
Whenever I see something you have posted that I disagree with (which is often) I know my position is correct.
> RyanCare takes the Dems off the hook.
Uniparty at work. Just keep tossing it back and forth.
True, but it would only be temporary. The Democratics would then be on serve to once again "fix" healthcare the first opportunity they get. Tinkering ever more to get to single payer. This will forever be a political football. Just what the doctored ordered for oligarch's raison d'etre. And now that Americans are numbed to position of government controlling healthcare there will be no going back. See England for the script.
He makes some valid points especially when it comes to full genuine repeal being impossible to pass in the Senate given the tactics he comes up with, which are really stupid. And by using the term ‘stupid’ is not resorting to name-calling but rather using the definition of ‘stupid’ as an inability to learn. to solve a problem. Without using tactics to ‘shame’ enough US Senate democrats to vote to end a filibuster, he tosses in the towel. He’s a loser because he can’t think outide the Beltway box.
Where he is wrong is in not taking a longer tactical view. He has been looking at a time range of several weeks when in fact he should be looking at several months to a year or more.
A full repeal is a one-page document and a full repeal is absolutely needed but Poe fails to consider just how to win battles that would force enough Senate democrats to get onboard with a full repeal.
Obviously, he has failed at this point as have conservatives and President Trump. So what could he and republicans differently? Answer: plenty.
> “We can no longer allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good.”
I cringe when I hear this Beltway cliché. He’s trying to say well at some point we have to be practical. No, Mr. Poe! What you are really saying is that at some point you have to toss in the towel and turn in shoddy work, mediocre work that is not fit to live up to the history of American excellence!
How long did it take for the Constitution to be crafted?
Did founding members at the Constitutional Convention get together and have a few discussions to ultimately decide “well, that’s good enough for government work?”
President Trump had you over to the White House and you sat there like a meerkat with an occasional squeak.
Are you fit to fill the shoes of those that sat next to Lincoln? Are you capable of talking about harsh tactics that will win in the spirit of a General Tecumseh Sherman? Do you have the drive, the dogged commitment to defeat the enemy like a General Ulysses Grant?
No, Mr. Poe, you’re just able to spew the same Beltway sewage spittle that we’ve all seen for years. You have nothing good to offer.
Did you put your tactical hat on and tell the President that he has to consider other tactics to bring down Obamacare and restore and enhance free markets for healthcare delivery? Did you shine in the grand tradition of spectacular American innovation?
No, you didn’t. You just concluded that Americans can’t go to the Moon, they can’t win World Wars, they can’t-can’t-can’t, can’t do anything extraordinary. They just need to accept your expectation of defeat and move on. The American Civilization can’t be extraordinary, it just has to accept your CRAP and that of those around you.
You’re not a ‘can-do’ spirit; you’re a “perfect as enemy of the good” loser.
The reason you are a loser is because you don’t have the tactical acumen and burning passion for winning. And neither does Ryan.
As conservatives, we don’t expect our President to perform miracles but we do expect him to have capable allies at his table to give him a winning vision of the future. In this, you FAILED.
And the worst of this for us out here in flyover country? We have to stomach that you can snicker and retire for ‘family reasons’ at any time at full salary level pension. So whatever happens, you’re set. And that makes being a mediocre loser irrelevant, doesn’t it? Because you’re set and you don’t have to lay down your life for your country. You can accept ‘shoddy’ work because it’s never going to be possible to do what’s right. It’s just not ‘possible’, is it? You didn’t solve the problem, you can’t solve the problem, so just go have a photo op with Ryan and kick the frickin can down the road again. LOSERS!
But it doesn’t matter because in any case, you’re set.
HOUSE Freedom Caucus.
Keeping conservatives in line and trying to prevent bail out/strong arm tactics being used, to promote a stinker bill from being passed.
A member confirms the narrative: The HFC kept moving the goal posts and were never going to say “yes”.
And this ex-member confirm what many of us have been saying all along: It is not possible to pass a repeal only bill.
Personally, I believe it would fail by 400 votes in the 435 member House. And those that are demanding it are wasting their air.
It won’t happen.
The insistence on immediate replacement bill isn’t necessary, immediate repeal is.
They’ve got all year to come up with a replacement and should not act so hastily.
Their replacement seems like it is all about buying votes and not the Constitution.
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