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Boehner's passion to repeal Obamacare has not subsided
If you thought the re-election of President Obama would dampen the Republican opposition to Obamacare you were mistaken.
Not only are several Republican governors continuing to oppose the law in every way possible, but the Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner is still actively rallying the base against it. Boehner just penned an op-ed saying he would continue to use every tactic he has to fight for the law’s full repeal, including trying to get the law repealed as part of any deficit deal:
The tactics of our repeal efforts will have to change. But the strategic imperative remains the same. If we’re serious about getting our economy moving again, solving our debt and restoring prosperity for American families, we need to repeal Obamacare and enact common-sense, step-by-step reforms that start with lowering the cost of health care.
The president’s health care law adds a massive, expensive, unworkable government program at a time when our national debt already exceeds the size of our country’s entire economy. We can’t afford it, and we can’t afford to leave it intact. That’s why I’ve been clear that the law has to stay on the table as both parties discuss ways to solve our nation’s massive debt challenge.
When it comes to a possible Grand Bargain, Boehner’s insistence on including the Affordable Care Act as part of any deal probably increases the chance of the negotiations failing. Obama will be reluctant to agree to anything that he sees as undermining his legacy, but this strengthens the hand of the more conservative parts of the Republicans caucus who are unwilling to make a deal.
Boehner’s continued public opposition to the ACA has some real policy implications for health care. That fact that top Republican leaders are still publicly fighting the law after the election almost guarantees that implementation of the law will be an incredible mess. Democrats foolishly chose to make the success of the law heavily dependent upon state officials working hard to implement it, and that is unlikely to happen in states controlled by Republicans.
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Bone-Head doesn’t want to get primaried in the next election by his dingbat constituency.
Boehner reflects the views of the powers in his caucus. He has no control of his caucus, which means that he cannot guarantee that any deal he negotiates will stick.
The GOP has to kill the ACA before too many people experience the good things that it has done. For all its weaknesses, its acceptance if not its popularity is increasing and fewer people are considering it too much government. And once the public realizes how the GOP has hoodwinked them on the “perils of socialist medicine story”, they lose credibility and power probably for a generation. They see that handwriting on the wall.
The Democratic caucuses, however, are clueless as usual. And the two last stands of the GOP are going to be state government sabotage and death through a thousand investigations.
Thank Max Baucus and Kent Conrad for the heavy involvement of states. Lesson learned: make sure to get progressives as chairs of the budget and finance committees.
This looks to me to be sabotage all around. Nobody wants a deal and nobody wants to just say No. Positions have been staked, poses have been struck, too late to declare it all ridiculous and who wants a crummy deal, anyway. The whole shebang was indefensible to so many constituencies. Would anyone want to be seen holding the bag?
No deal.
Sabotage away, Boehner!
Obama must let the ‘cliff’ reach us, then ask Congress to enact Obama Tax Cuts for the Middle Class.
I don’t really care about the defense cuts, they won’t happen anyway. But the Bush tax cuts must be relegated to the political past.
The Republicans aren’t even trying. All that was, was an insult, straight up.
Well put.
Even if it does get set up properly, which is doubtful, once they start fining young people for not buying medical insurance, repeal will be a snap.
“This bill falls short on many levels, and hurts many people more than it helps” — Jane Hamsher
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/03/19/fact-sheet-the-truth-about-the-health-care-bill/
Yes!
It has been awhile now, but I recall someone at the IRS saying there would be no fines.
“… we need to repeal Obamacare and enact common-sense, step-by-step reforms that start with lowering the cost of health care.”
I am all for putting Obamacare on the negotiating table. Let’s start by adding a public option or, better yet, how about single payer, Medicare for all!
HC costs are a major driver of the deficit and the only way to get them under control is single payer.
No fines? Then what will they call them, fuel surcharges? Processing fees? Penalties? Or what?
Boehner is like this drunk in the railroad station who wakes of and wants to know where the 5:38 went. It left the station long ago, Senator Boner.
My god, don’t even suggest Boehner in the senate: that’s six years. Representative is reprehensible enough.
Good. Let the people in the Red States not be able to get health insurance because they have per-existing conditions. And let the Red States secede while they are at it.
I’m all for both of those.
The greatest gift Obama gave to America’s wealthiest corporations was the ACA. Due to the mandatory insurance provision large employers are in the process of removing spousal coverage. Haven’t heard this yet! It is in the process right now. Healthcare benefits are a huge cost center for large companies and now they have the backing of the ACA to shed some of them.
Boehner is a drunk in a railroad station.
And they should shed all of them. We need single payer and if the only way we can get it is to have the corporations dump us then so be it.
Agreed, Teddy.
And Jon, you say
“When it comes to a possible Grand Bargain, Boehner’s insistence on including the Affordable Care Act as part of any deal probably increases the chance of the negotiations failing.”
I don’t think so. It just gives Obama something he WANTS to hold on to, while he throws Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid under the bus.
“Tolls”
I think the Pubs are misguided to go after Obamacare. Obamacare will damage the Democrats no end. It will be a millstone around their neck for years to come.
http://youtu.be/Gc9ljl2cV6A
Progressives should thank Boner for doing what he can to end the individual mandate fascist delivery of a guaranteed customer pool to corrupt insurers as well as scuttling any grand bargain to attack Social Security and Medicare. Newsflash: Obama and the Democrats are not your friends and if the enemy of my enemy makes my enemy’s life hell, well, that’s not bad either.
oh yeah! sorry, liberal arts. my bad!