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Make America Sick Again: GOP Takes First Steps To Repealing ACA aka Obamacare

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Make America Sick Again: GOP Takes First Steps To Repealing ACA aka Obamacare

Senate Republicans took the first steps towards dismantling Obamacare Tuesday afternoon, filing a budget resolution that puts the wheels in motion for “overhauling”, but in reality actually repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as we know it.

The health care law has reduced the rate of uninsured Americans to the lowest ever recorded and provided health care coverage to 20 million people who previously lacked it.

After Republicans met again on Wednesday to discuss the Affordable Care Act, Vice President-elect Mike Pence came out vowing to repeal the law.

“The first order of business is to repeal and replace Obamacare, and that was our message today and that will be our message on Capitol Hill,” Pence told reporters after the meeting.

At the same time, Obama met with House Democrats to plot ways to slow the Republican drive and defend parts of his signature law. Republicans already control the House and Senate, and after Trump takes office later this month they’ll have the power to gut Obamacare.

Although repeal of the law is now almost a virtual certainty, it’s far from clear what will replace it. Republican leaders said they are exploring a variety of market-based options that would lower costs, give Americans more choice and reduce government’s role in the health care system.

Yet Republicans are expected to need a property manager? Why? Because as they work out a replacement. “We don’t want people to be caught with nothing,” said Paul Ryan, speaker of the House.

Democrats were skeptical. They contend the elimination of Obamacare will “make America sick again,” a twist on Trump’s campaign theme.

“They don’t have a replacement plan,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the leader of House Democrats. “To repeal and delay is an act of cowardice” that could jeopardize the health care of millions of Americans, especially seniors who receive Medicare.

Republicans  argue that a more market-based approach will increase competition in the health-care market and lead to lower prices despite the fact that health-care costs in the U.S., already the highest in the industrial world because it is a “for profit” business.

The Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010 and has since benefited millions of Americans needing access to affordable health insurance—including people living with HIV and other pre-existing conditions.

An estimated 20 million Americans are liable to lose their health insurance if the ACA is repealed.

 

 

 

House GOP Votes To Cut $40 Billion From Food Stamps After Spending $823 Billion On WAR

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GOP SCUM

Heartless House Republicans and Tea Party members yesterday voted to cut nearly $4 billion a year from food stamps allowing states to put broad new work requirements in place for many food stamp recipients and to test applicants for drugs.

The vote was 217 to 210, largely along party lines.

Republican leaders, under pressure from Tea Party-backed conservatives, said the bill was needed because the food stamp program, which costs nearly $80 billion a year, had grown out of control.

But while Washington Republicans and Tea Party politicians try to take food out of the mouth of America’s poor they are turning a blind eye to bloated and corrupted items such as the Farm  Bill and the current cost to the United States for its recent never-ending wars.

Historically, the food stamp program has been part of the Farm Bill, a huge piece of legislation that had routinely been passed every five years, authorizing financing for the nation’s farm and nutrition programs. Separating Food Stamps from the Farm Bill saved it from cuts which would have affected some Washington GOP politicians  including Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, Michele Bachmann of Minnesota,  and South Dakota Republican Kristi Noem who receive millions of dollars a year in subsidies despite their enormous net worth’s.

And lets not forget that direct federal spending on the war through 2012 will reach $823 billion, surpassing the $738 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars the U.S. spent on the Vietnam War, the Congressional Research Service estimated in a March 29 report. Only World War II had a higher direct cost, $4.1 trillion, in current dollars. Much of that money going into the pockets of the the GOP backed war machine which in turn kicks back and supports the Republican and Tea Party.

Once again the Republican Party and the newly formed Tea Party attack the poor viciously for pennies while pocketing millions, and perhaps billions of dollars.

This has got to stop.