There’s been quite a few verbal barbs aimed at Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, the #4 Republican in the House, over comments about reforming Obamacare rather than repealing it. Allahpundit writes
Interestingly, it’s Cathy McMorris-Rodgers’s comments about “reforming†rather than repealing the O-Care exchanges that drew most of the blog chatter this weekend, not Rand’s equally eyebrow-raising remarks at Harvard on Friday. Is that because McMorris-Rodgers is guilty of a double heresy, having forecast a new amnesty push this summer too? Or is it because Paul’s conservative bona fides are still in good standing whereas no one trusts the House leadership on anything anymore, starting with ObamaCare? Whatever the reason, McMorris-Rodgers issued a statement this morning aimed at the gullible optimists among us insisting that she’s on Team Repeal all the way. Whew.
Noting The Hill article mentioned in the excerpt (eyebrow-raising remarks0
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) admitted Friday it’s “difficult to turn the clock back†on ObamaCare, but proposed making the law voluntary as a possible fix for consumers.
“I think it’s going to be difficult to turn the clock back. People get assumed and accustomed to receiving things, particularly things that they get for free,†he told a crowd of students at Harvard’s Institute of Politics on Friday.
Paul’s comments echo those of other Republicans who have admitted it will be difficult to fully repeal the law after some of its more popular provisions took effect.
Paul goes on to offer some advice on reforming, how things might go, what can be done. Now, let’s be honest. Can Obamacare be repealed? Well, yes. Should it be repealed at this point? No. Not straight repealed. That boat sailed with Mitt Romney’s loss and the failure to retake the Senate in 2012. Even then, it might have been difficult to simply repeal. The loss of the White House in 2012 was the most damaging, as the enormous amount of latitude within the PPACA would have allowed a President Romney to slow or stop so much of the damage.
Consider the “contraception mandate”: that was wholly a creation of Team Obama. It doesn’t appear within the text of the law. Establishing 30 hours as full time? Again, that was done by Team Obama. By the end of 2012 there were already 20K pages of rules and regulations regarding Obamacare, added to the 2,000+ pages of the PPACA. The tentacles of the Act were already insinuating themselves with not just the health insurance and health care industries, but many other sectors of the economy.
Heck, don’t forget that Obamacare also changed the student loan system, essentially taking the private sector out of most student loans, in order to keep the interest rates high (in the 6% range, despite the US borrowing at about 2.4%) with the profit fed back into Obamacare. And, let’s face it, to make students more beholden to Government.
Obamacare has already changed so many things in so many ways. Now that the Exchanges have started and people are obtaining health insurance through those Exchanges (albeit, most signups are due to losing their insurance due to Obamacare), simply repealing wouldn’t just be difficult, but reckless. I know people are thinking “hey, we repealed Prohibition, why not Ocare?” Comparatively, that repeal was simple. Alcohol banned, alcohol not banned. Hey, we also “repealed” slavery. The fallout from that lasted a long time, and, realistically, slavery wasn’t as intrusive on lives as Ocare. Not that many people really owned slaves. Though much of the South’s economy relied upon slaves.
Obamacare has caused massive amounts of uncertainty within the private sector. It’s even caused problems with municipal governments. Now, there’s always some uncertainty within the economy, and especially the private sector. That’s business. Government should not make it worse. Simply repealing Ocare will further cause uncertainty. What needs to be done is that it is slowly replaced with wise legislation. Things like the Exchanges and subsidies can’t simply be dumped. It will be hard work to replace all the bad parts of Ocare with good ideas, things that work for everyone. There should be no losers, just winners.
Slavery was less intrusive on people’s lives than the ACA ???
Teach in South Carolina 58% of the population
Teach exactly when did you realize that the ACA would not should not be repealed? Do you think the GOP wasted time with their 50+ votes to repeal ? Can you see that all polls show ACA support rising as people realize that the “death panels” were just lies ?
“Hey, we also “repealed†slavery. The fallout from that lasted a long time, and, realistically, slavery wasn’t as intrusive on lives as Ocare.”
Spoken from the perspective of a genteel southern gentleman…
I wonder what a slave’s perspective would be?
Affordable healthcare, that can’t be lost for getting ill vs. shackled, beaten, wife raped, children sold and made to pick cotton for a southern gentleman like yourself.
And you’ve convinced yourselves that Blacks favor progressive policies so they can get “free stuff”, rather than the obvious – they fear conservatives in power.
Yes. The ACA will help the poor more than it helps the not-poor.
John and Jeff,
First, neither of you have any idea of what is in the AHA. And, death panels are there. Then, yes, this is as invasive as slavery. You are actually bought and sold, I know as I have been in conferences that preform this task. Every aspect of your life, wealth and well being is now subject to the government.
Then neither of you have any idea of slavery. There was not a slave revolt in the 1860’s. Slaves were forced off most plantations and then starved. When they had the chance, most returned. They had cradle to grave care, just like you desire. Many slave owners were not “white gentlemen” but ex-slaves and black immigrants and freedmen who owned slaves and were worse than whites as to mistreatment. Children were not sold, it was against the law. Women were not raped. Beatings were as common as in the US navy (you like that John). In Louisiana, the only national park to celebrate plantation life was owned by a black family.
Your fundamental knowledge of everything is wrong. Get an education.