Senate Inching Closer To ObamaCare-Repeal Compromise? (“Inching” being the operative word.)

Hotair ^ | 06/09/2017 | Ed Morrissey

[henkster]

MHO...this is the single biggest failure of the GOP and proof that they were never serious about actually governing. For how many years did they say “Repeal and Replace?” The failure to have the replacement ready to go on January 20 is inexcusable.

You might not like the idea of replacing 0bamacare. You might not like the specific replacement. That’s not really the point so much as the fact that there was NO REPLACEMENT ready for passage when the opportunity arose, which shows a party systemically dysfunctional and incapable of governing. Or maybe just not willing to govern.

[Diogenesis]

The GOP is lying because they “think” that their
lying to America will hurt President Trump
and help their chosen King Romney and his toadie Ryan.

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

America HATEs the GOP for daring to lie again,
and they will pay with their jobs as they are
ALL replaced with real conservatives.

[momincombatboots]

#exemptocratcongress bailing out Obamacare. Not just NO! At least dreamers won’t have to worry.
Tired of being lied to yet? Gotta grant universal citizenship? Liars.. and exempt liars at that.

[DoughtyOne]

Senate Inching Closer To ObamaCare-Repeal Compromise? ("Inching" being the operative word.)

("Millimetering" maybe!>

[Owen]

People forget . . . the Dems DID NOT GET WHAT THEY WANTED IN OBAMACARE.

They had the same problem the GOP does. Factions do not agree. They could not get a single payer plan through their own caucus. But they fought hard and argued and persuaded and bribed and they GOT SOMETHING.

The GOP is going to have to do the same thing. There is no choice.

You’re right, this HAS to be done. It’s the centerpiece position of the party and the Prez both. There MUST be repeal and replace and all it really has to do is 2 things — it has to have lower premiums and it has to pass both houses.

[Alberta's Child]

Here's the basic problem that Republicans face here, which explains why I've been very patient with them on this particular issue:

1. ObamaCare basically screws younger people (and employers of younger people) on behalf of older people through its mandates for health coverage.

2. The people with the most risk in any discussion about health care coverage are in the 50-65 age group, when their health care costs typically rise but before they are old enough to qualify for Medicare.

3. Younger people voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton last year, and are reliable Democrat voters in most House and Senate races.

4. Older people voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump last year, and are reliable Republican voters in most House and Senate races.

This is the problem the GOP faces. They can't just shut down Obamacare without having a feasible plan in place to deal with their core constituents in that 50-65 age group.

[LS]

I posited yesterday that Rush had explained three major interpretations for Congress not supporting/passing Trump’s agenda.

1) They are neverTrumper obstructionists (true to some degree)
2) They are just incompetent (who can argue?)
3) NEW ONE: They were willing to help Trump, but are still unsure if he’ll “make it” or survive.
4) I have a different take. I don’t think Congress is suicidal-—unlike the full ideologue Dems in 2009 who KNEW that by supporting Ocare they would lose. I do think 99% of Congress/Senate does want to get reelected. They are NOT incompetent. We’ve seen them move with blazing speed if they want something (Gorsuch) and move quietly (repeal of Dodd-Frank).

So I think they are strategically holding off until much later this year or early next year on both tax cuts and Ocare so that they can RUN on these things in 2018 when it is fresh in voters’ minds. Again, just my take, but I think THEY think that passing stuff too soon would cause Trump, and not them to get all the credit.

[Alberta's Child]

There MUST be repeal and replace and all it really has to do is 2 things — it has to have lower premiums and it has to pass both houses.

Couldn't have said it any better. Now I'm trying to figure out why we were arguing with each other so much when Ryan's bill was being debated. LOL.

[Alberta's Child]

I think your #4 is spot-on.

I would even go so far as to suggest that the GOP House leadership has been cutting deals with certain members in Democrat-leaning districts to let them vote against any ObamaCare repeal/replacement bill to help protect their House seat.

[jersey117]

If the republican bill doesn’t significantly lower premiums and deductibles by open enrollment in the Fall, it’s useless. From what I’ve read, males between the ages of 60 and 64 will be hit the hardest. That’s a big part of Trump’s base right there. They need something for early retirees who don’t abuse the healthcare system. The 62 to 64 year olds are all but forgotten in anyone’s bill.

[LS]

100% correct. And this in NO way reflects on Trump, as he took their word-—given for seven years-—that they were going to repeal.

[The Westerner]

We’re gonna have to rename you Larry the Sunshine Man! Your take on this above (#4) is like the sun with a big smiley face breaking through storm clouds.

[Alberta's Child]

The only way to lower premiums and deductibles is to reduce the terms of coverage. In other words, insurance carriers must have the ability to do at least one (preferably both) of the following:

1. Cap or reduce coverage for pre-existing conditions.

2. Impose annual and/or lifetime limits on claims.

I'm surprised #2 hasn't gotten more traction in Congress. This seems like a no-brainer, since the lack of any limits on claims defeats the whole purpose of insurance coverage. If the insurance company has no limit on its financial exposure, is it any surprise that their insurance coverage is going to be prohibitively expensive -- to the point where they don't even want to sell the coverage at all?

[Amendment10]

If Trumpcare requires new federal powers beyond the scope of Congress’s limited Commerce Clause powers (1.8.3) as clarified by the Supreme Court in Gibbons v. Ogden below, then the Senate better be planning to work with the House to propose a Trumpcare amendment to the Constitution to the states.

• “Congress is not empowered to tax for those purposes which are within the exclusive province of the States.” Justice John Marshall, Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824.

• "State inspection laws, health laws, and laws for regulating the internal commerce of a State, and those which respect turnpike roads, ferries, &c. are not within the power granted to Congress [emphases added]." —Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824.

• ”From the accepted doctrine that the United States is a government of delegated powers, it follows that those not expressly granted, or reasonably to be implied from such as are conferred, are reserved to the states, or to the people. To forestall any suggestion to the contrary, the Tenth Amendment was adopted. The same proposition, otherwise stated, is that powers not granted are prohibited [emphasis added].” —United States v. Butler, 1936.

Note that the states are not obligated to ratify any proposed amendment to the Constitution.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: 3) NEW ONE: They were willing to help Trump, but are still unsure if he’ll “make it” or survive.

Notice one MAIN difference between the GOP and the Dems. The Republicans ARE NOT AS UNIFIED as the Democrats.

The Dems will UNIFIY to support their candidate through think and thin ( Clinton or Obama ), EVEN when they are found to be impeachable and corrupt.

The Republicans can’t do the same thing.

[JediJones]

One of the “no” votes on the House bill is in the district next to me. It’s one of those Hillary-supporting districts that still elected a GOP congressman. His Facebook page was just hammered with leftist activists demanding he not sign onto the repeal and replace.

Part of this is simply the nature of who some of these Republicans are and what districts they are in. They are RINOs and always have been in order to get elected in blue districts. But, yeah, they are the ones responsible for doing the dishonest “show votes” all the other times they said they’d repeal it.

The other part of it is the increased left-wing activism, be it grass-roots or astroturf. That is the bigger danger. If our side can’t go to toe-to-toe with the other side on the grass-roots stuff, we’re going to have more problems going forward. The normal American pastime of voting and then going back to live your own life that conservatives like to do is a losing proposition against rabid, leftist activists. We may juice ourselves up for actual elections better, but in the meantime they’re wreaking havoc through activism.

[henkster]

Everything you say is true about the demographic and political conundrum of 0bamacare. However, the GOP has had six years to figure a way out of the box. And they should have at least had a viable framework ready to roll out. They get in power and it turns out they have nothing. It appears it was empty rhetoric in pursuit of power. And maybe that’s all it ever was.

[LS]

Well, this article pretty well makes clear that they can MAKE THE DEAL any moment they choose, right?

[woodenickel]

All going as planned. Obamacare is a failure and will be replaced by GOPcare which also will be a failure. The public will have a fit and elect a RAT next go around. The rats will fix GOPcare with single payer. There fixed!!