Republicans have pledged for several years to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. It has been a rallying cry for most members in a party that rally comes together under one unifying message. Yet for all these years of rhetoric, Republicans have failed to follow through in the several months they’ve had control of Congress and the White House.
The failure has been often blamed by opponents of the repeal measures, as it is now. The Graham-Cassidy Bill, a nickname for the current repeal effort being spearheaded by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), appears as though it will fail like the rest.
Republican senators have been venting frustration through the media and President Donald Trump has taken aim at Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Twitter, calling him a negative force. Trump is using misleading words to insinuate that Paul doesn’t want to repeal Obamacare when nothing could be further from the truth. Paul does want to repeal Obamacare, but when he says it, he actually means it.
Just because the legislation says it does something doesn’t mean it is so. Was the Patriot Act patriotic? For a more recent example, was the USA Freedom Act about preserving freedom?
The problem here is that Paul isn’t the negative force at work. Republicans campaigned for years on repealing Obamacare on the grounds that it was excessive government and damaging to the economy. Does the Graham-Cassidy legislation honestly role back the size of government and free the healthcare industry of the government bureaucracy?
Absolutely not, in Paul’s opinion.
Paul has in recent days criticized the legislation for maintaining Obamacare, keeping the taxes in place, and failing to adequately tackle spending. Essentially, as Senator Paul has noted, it is Obamacare under a different name. Does a Republican incarnation of Obamacare make it any better than the Democratic version?
It’s a question of principle at this point.
Paul, Trump and the remainder of Capitol Hill Republicans all campaigned on repealing Obamacare. The limited government message has become a popular campaign message, as has reduction of taxes and decreasing spending.
So why is this so difficult for Republicans to grasp?
Trump seems eager to start fights, but instead of fighting for his campaign promises, he’s fighting against those who wish to keep it for him. For all his rhetoric about draining the swamp, he’s protecting the swamp from any serious efforts to drain it. He even spoke in favor of Mitch McConnell’s crony, Luther Strange, last night as he fights to keep a constitutional champion out of the Senate.
The Graham-Cassidy bill doesn’t go far enough to undo the mess that Obamacare has created for the healthcare markets. Obamacare has been a blessing onto the healthcare industry, but a disaster for hardworking people across the country. Republicans were returned to power in part because of a promise to restore freedom and open up the markets.
What are campaign promises worth to Republican politicians in Washington D.C.?
Paul is virtually the only man in the swamp with the backbone to keep the promise alive. If the goal is to truly repeal Obamacare and not just replace it with a Republican version, he is the one taking a stand. Mainstream Republicans, including Trump, should be ashamed of themselves for wasting an opportunity to follow through on a key campaign promise.
I don’t understand the GOP. We voted them in because they said repeal repeal repeal. That’s what we wanted. Repeal!
We don’t want & replace… where the hell did this & replace shit come from?
Just. Get. Rid of it! Real simple.
You’d think with the Republicans controlling Congress and the White House, it’d be fairly easy to keep their biggest promise of all.
Chris Dixon
I think they have been out of power for so long they don’t know what to do. They have this idea that they need to make grandiose legislative milestones and show the country that republicans are just “as good” as the democrats!
Like “look look! We can make sweeping changes too! Just look!!”
It’s like that kid whose always picked last and gets their spot light chance to make the game winning score. But it’s not the movies, and they still suck and botch the shot.
They are too beholden to special interest in the insurance industry.
They’ve all caved
It came from Trump.
That guy is not a conservative.
Andrew Guthrie
I don’t think it came from Trump. And even if it did. Trump isn’t the legislation. If they passed a repeal only bill, I doubt Trump would have vetoed it.
It didn’t come from Trump, but Trump supports it. For a guy who sold himself as a defiant conservative, he’s been a massive disappointment.
Chris Dixon
But the president doesn’t have any power in that regards. It’s all in the hands of the House.
It’s not as if ACA was an EO that Trump can sign away. It’s a full blown law. And it’s pretty ironclad in preventing any later executive branch from altering it. So it has to come from legislation to repeal it. Trump is completely powerless in this regard.
Rand your stupid ass going to pay my fine for me ?
Try reading why he opposes the bill. You just made yourself look foolish
What he said dont pay shit .
I kinda feel this way, but honestly I wouldn’t ask the only Senator who isn’t a piece of shit to compromise himself. Not for the fines I don’t pay anyways.
But yeah, that’s the single good thing about this bill: removing the fine imposed for not getting health insurance.
Is Rand charging you the fine?
It’s not Rand’s fault he’s trying to get rid of more government interference in your life.
Is he going to pay the fine is the question ?
Why am I paying a fucking fine when I have my own private doctor ? I tell you why,to pay for some illegal or welfare sob,Thats why. Thats just fair as hell aint it ?
Because of Obamacare.
So ask yourself: Why won’t the Republican Party repeal the entire law? They have the White House. They have Congress.
Because so called republicans are as crooked as the democrats.They lied foe 7 years saying they would but never had that intention because also thought hillery would win. Why you think so many ran against Trump.
So then why are you attacking Rand Paul for wanting a full repeal instead of Republicans who sold out?
Rand is fighting to purge Obamacare. Trump and other Republicans just want Obamacare Lite.
He wont for repealing nothing,he flip flops with the wind. Were not voting on it this week we should repeal,next week ,we shouldn’t repeal we just need to change a few things. What kind of insurance do you pay for ?
I can hear you !
Now Rand is on TV saying he wants to repeal it. He is a joke. The government doesn’t need its hands in health care period. Oh,but he voted no.
Well i Don’t Think He is Right I Think He Is In The Same Boat With McCain A Piece Of Crap !!!
He’s not in the same boat. McCain wants more government, Rand wants less.
Thats What They All Say !!!
Well Rand is holding out right now because Obamacare Lite doesn’t go far enough to roll back the government, so his actions speak for themselves.
I Think Rand Paul is A Swamp Man That Needs To Be Drained !!!!
This is quite a remarkable political system we have here in America.
One political party fights for what their voters believe in.
The other party fights against what their voters believe in.
Get ready for a democrat controlled House and Senate and the eventual impeachment of Trump.
But they both move the government in the same direction of totalitarianism. Almost as if they are but the two wings of a bird of prey…….
Dennis Vines Bingo!
Red Pill.
I think this is about as good as it’s gonna get….
Honestly we might as well just open the flood gates for government spending. The only way we’re going to get rid of our inflationary system is by pushing it to its limits and when it breaks, reforming it.
We literally couldn’t pay off our national debt. It’s impossible. Literally impossible. Since we’d need borrowed money to pay it, and then we’d just owe more. So let’s just borrow everything and then tell everyone to fuck off. We’ll probably need to back that up with an armed revolution-y deal and probably a world war, but it’s coming anyways. Might as well max out our credit cards before the hammer hits.
Actually we can. If congress shuts down the FED and returns to its duty of coining money.
Will it ever happen? Doubt it. BUT it can actually be done.
Get government out of healthcare. PERIOD
You’d think that would be a simple concept for politicians who spent seven years campaigning on just that.
I’m with Rand Paul
#StillRanding
Rand Paul stands against everything and does nothing by talk. He is all talk and his mouth and butt speak the same language.