Meanwhile, the Obamacare replacement efforts march on
It’s getting real: Obamacare boosters, who have counted on the disarray of the GOP to continue indefinitely (not ordinarily a bad bet), are running scared because the repeal/replace effort may actually succeed.
In what form, isn’t exactly clear.
The article I just linked is a bit unintentionally humorous, though, with sentences such as this one:
Meanwhile, across the nation, health insurance plans are beginning to flee the Obamacare marketplace. They’ve cited the uncertainty around the health care law’s future, sown by congressional Republicans and the Trump administration.
Anyone who’s been following this for the nearly four years that Obamacare has actually been in operation realizes that the insurance companies aren’t just beginning to flee the Obamacare marketplace, and it’s not because of the big bad Republicans. No doubt the departures have increased (or will begin to increase) as it becomes more clear that a repeal/replace is imminent, but the flight has been going on for years, documented in countless reports and articles.
One interesting sideline is the role the famously contentious Ted Cruz appears to be playing in all of this:
The first-term senator from Texas is seeking to unite warring wings of the Republican Party around an effort to kill Obamacare and is showing a new willingness to compromise with colleagues to devise a replacement plan…
Cruz, 46, said Trump’s election and Republican control of the government prompted him to change his approach. These days, he’s negotiating regularly with McConnell and other senators. “The entire world changed on election day,” Cruz said in one of several recent interviews. “My focus today is on delivering results and not wasting this historic opportunity.”
In other words, the role of a senator in a majority party with a president belonging to the same party is different than when that senator’s party affiliation is in opposition to the majority in the Senate and/or the party affiliation of the president.
The details of the final plan—and its success or failure—have yet to be revealed. What’s that phrase again? We’ll see.
I want to point out something from the Cruz article.
“Cruz worked with House conservatives, including Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows of North Carolina. He penned an op-ed in Politico arguing that language gutting Obamacare insurance regulations should be included in the bill and could pass procedural muster in the Senate.
Meadows said he’s met with Cruz many times on health care, often “without any fanfare or any knowledge of his involvement.”
“I don’t know that it’s a different Ted Cruz, because I’ve seen this Ted Cruz before,” Meadows said. “The only one that got reported for a long time was the other Ted Cruz.”
“I’m very optimistic that his involvement this time will actually produce results,” Meadows said. “He knows the real pressure points and what becomes real obstacles for us.””
* * *
This quote squares with what was louded about Cruz before he became “The Devil in the Senate” — what he is doing now demonstrates the MO he was known for in Texas and earlier.
Why he decided to go the Tough Guy route in the Senate instead of keeping to his established pattern is indeed a conundrum, although it might be wiggled out of this statement:
“”The week after the election I brought my staff together,” he said, and told them they had a new mission. For the past four years, he told them, they had been fighting “a president with a radical agenda” and had focused on stopping bad things from happening as the loyal opposition.”
* * *
IMO, he saw no productive value in negotiating with the Democrats (per Rubio’s sad fate), and the majority of the GOP was actively sabotaging the newly-elected reformers.
With a President who might actually sign reform legislation, cajoling the GOP could actually produce something useful.
“lauded” – stupid spell checker
Cruz is not a one dimensional politician. At first he was combative simply because there was a lot to combat, including the GOPe, particularly McCain, Graham, and McConnell. They considered Cruz to be too far to the right and uncompromising. Cruz was of the opinion that the left does not want to meet in the middle. That opinion has obviously proven to be true. Now with republicans controlling the executive and legislative branches he sees the possibility to achieve many of his goals.
He is capable of nuance.
For all the angst about obamacare the last several years, if this ends up being a “more conservative version of obamacare” (as mentioned a few posts ago), it will be a real let down.
But, I understand the political reality.
We have a POTUS who won’t or cannot make the sale on something bolder, with his low approval rating (credibility and trust) and the distractions that surround him.
In that environment, fat chance of swinging any furtive Republicans or dems on board via public pressure.
Trump, and his team, largely have no idea HOW to restructure 0-care.
Hence their silence, hence the collective decision to let Congress stew over 0-care.
The only way forward is to see 0-care totally gutted.
Trump does not want to be the fall-guy for Barry’s tempest of torments.
The smartest play is to let things muddle along until the Insurance Cartel gags on 0-care — which it wrote — setting the stage for a total re-think of the Insurance Cartel and the larger Big Medicine-Big Pharma Cartel.
The real crux of the matter is COST.
COST driven by Cartel politics.
Until COST is addressed, you’re only moving the deck chairs.
The other Cartel that needs attention: ACADEME.
VOX running scared. Warms mah pore ol’ heart!
I love hearing the Dems whine that “they aren’t having any hearings about the bill so we can learn what is in it.” I think the appropriate answer is “the GOP will have to pass it so you can see what is in it.” Right?
HRc would be in prison if I was president. Wonder who said that.
Meanwhile, apparently Planned Profit is still going strong with the Bhaal sacrifices and profit selling to bio gen corps.
Trump does not want to be the fall-guy for Barry’s tempest of torments.
Trum was supposed to be this tough mofo taht goes to DC and cleans out the swamp.
Now the Buck stops somewhere in the Future?
Talk about a bait and switch.
No wonder humans are livestock.