Conservative Groups Rail Against GOP's 'Obamacare-Lite' Repeal Plan

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo



By TIERNEY SNEED Published MARCH 7, 2017, 10:42 AM EDT

Conservative groups railed against the Obamacare repeal legislation released by House leadership this week, taking issue with the refundable tax credits the bill offers, as well as a continuous coverage requirement which critics likened to the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate.

A statement Tuesday from Jason Pye, director of public policy and legislative affairs at FreedomWorks, labeled the GOP bill "ObamaCare-lite." Michael Needham, the CEO of Heritage Action, argued the legislation "not only accepts the flawed progressive premises of Obamacare but expands upon them." The staff of the Republican Study Committee, which boasts 170 members in the House, said in a memo obtained by Bloomberg that the tax credits amounted to "a Republican welfare entitlement.”

Meanwhile, the House Freedom Caucus, a group of hardliners known to derail Republican agenda items, is planning its own press conference on the legislation later Tuesday afternoon. The House hardliners will be joined by Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has introduced his own Obamacare replacement legislation that has the backing of conservatives.

The House leadership's bill, titled the American Health Care Act, can afford to lose less than two dozen GOP members in the House and two Republican senators. GOP leaders are also feeling pressure from the moderate wing, and particularly on how to handle the ACA's Medicaid expansion, which will be allowed to continue unchanged through 2020 under the latest bill. That tweak further perturbed the caucus' far-right wing. The Republican Study Committee memo, for instance, said that they had "major concerns" and that the bill would "continue to contribute to the worsening of the federal and state budgets by incentivizing states to maintain expansion or to initiate new expansions and leaving the federal government picking up the majority of the bill."

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/freedomworks-obamacare-repeal-statement

[underpants]

1. Glenn Beck is against it

Caught him while running an errand about an hour ago. "Now WE own this mess"

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Beck won't admit

the ACA was a lot less of a mess than conservatives made it out to be

A few tweaks, some single payer state trial programs, some non-ER 24 hour
clinic seed money, and some premium/deductible alternatives might fix a whole lot.

But they can't or won't admit that.

If Romney had installed an ACA look-alike bill they'd be defending it like a stockade fort.

[cstanleytech]

3. Agreed, what pisses them off is that a "black" Democratic President proposed

the ACA and then he had the gall to trounce them at the polls despite their pledge from day one to make him a one term President.

[Moral Compass]

4. True Conservatives

True conservatives want more cruelty. Obamacare Lite is not sufficiently cruel. It doesn't simply end Medicaid. After all, Jesus said the poor don't want healthcare according to one Kansas representative (must be in a book of the New Testament that didn't make the Nicean cut).

People voted for these guys and gals and probably will again. Because somewhere there may be a brown or black person who is gaming the system and is getting something they're not. Because abortion. Because Hillary. Because Benghazi. Because WTF why not? Because Democrat bad. Republican good. Because a black guy was President.

A republic is not sustainable if most of the voting age populace is utterly ignorant. We have reached that tipping point.

[xor]

5. Ahhh, they are upset that it doesn't go far enough in denying Americans health care

[lark]

6. Yep, it violates one of their most deeply held beliefs.

Working class people who get sick need to die and be quick about it. They don't want us staying around and sucking up $$ that could go offshore to a rich person's bank account. How dare we!

[xor]

7. It's the patriotic thing to do...

What always shocks me are the number of republicans fully support these ideas, but who are not wealthy and would have themselves or family fall victim to these policies. Some might change their opinion when it directly affects them, though. Still, the lack of ability (or is it desire?) to work that out in their head baffles me.

[LiberalLovinLug]

8. There is a leap that Americans have to take

As a Canadian, I admire the American spirit of the individual doing it "my way". Your history is seeped in characters with this attribute. So I understand. Even many conservative Democrats probably feel uneasy about it. It is that "continuous coverage requirement which critics likened to the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate". Of course true single payer goes much further but the basic premise that EVERYONE is required to contribute, if they are employed, in order to cover EVERYONE. One has to crack this "party of personal responsibility" wall so they can see the light of community responsibility. It takes a village and all that.

It just has to be presented properly. How does the federal government fund the Armed Forces? And all the different aspects. It's funding is run as a socialist system. If every State, every county with an armed forces base all had to find individual manufacturers for say, new uniforms, the cost to taxpayers would be even higher. When the federal government negotiates a better price for uniforms for every base that is short on this particular model, they get the best deal for taxpayers, and they take care of every base that needs them. Of course the same principle goes for weaponry, planes, etc.

Americans just have to wrap their collective heads around the notion of pooling their money together to get a better deal for their families and for their neighbours, when it comes to health care. And, like the funding for the armed forces, everyone has to contribute for it to work. Even pacifists. Its another argument for another thread on the issue of over-spending on the military. I am presenting ways we can connect to conservative values.

Another aspect is the definition of "freedom", which is a cherished word in America. Mandated payments can be viewed as restricting ones freedom, but, especially in the case of full blown single payer, it can also be viewed as unshackling people from worrying about heath care. They don't have to fear changing jobs, or locations. You and every member of your family is covered from birth to death no matter what, so you can concentrate on working or starting a business wherever or whenever you want. Freedom from concern in one big area of ones life.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. This is an excellent post, and one that deserves to be posted in its own right.

I strongly urge you to make this into an OP. It deserves to be seen by all of us here on DU.

[LiberalLovinLug]

10. thanks Peggy

I'll try it