Monday, July 24, 2017

The Crusade to Kill Affordable Healthcare Rages On

Last week, I posted an appeal to Republican senators from across the pond featuring Boy George crooning in his own inimitable style, his 1982 chart-buster, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?  (Check out the link in that previous post.)

Well, believe it or not, the very next day, West Virginia's junior senator Shelley Moore Capito (R), declared that "she didn't come to Washington to hurt people." Sheer coincidence, or is she a fan?  In any event, good for her.  At least two other Republican senators have joined their colleague, stating their opposition to the upcoming, supposedly revised version of the --- uh --- "Better Care Reconciliation Act."  (BCRA). Consideration of the bill may be brought to a vote as early as today (Tuesday, July 25th).  However, that would just initiate debate on this measure.  Affordable health care ain't dead yet.

Here's the kicker.  They have no idea what the bill contains.  It might include chunks of the House Bill a.k.a.,The American Health Care Act (AHCA) as well as parts of the BCRA.  In any case, according to the Congressional Budget Office, at least 20 million souls would lose their coverage.

Texas Senator and Majority Whip John Cornyn, Mitch McConnell's Senior Bookend,* insists that letting senators know what's in the bill they'll be voting on is "a luxury we don't have." Gotta ram it through before summer recess, y'know.

All of these endlessly --- and mercilessly --- repetitive attempts to scuttle affordable healthcare remind me of one thing:  That angry turd that you can't ever flush down!  It just keeps on defiantly bobbing back at you! 

Well, progressive Democrats have fashioned a much-needed plunger.  It's called  "Medicare for All."  The House bill has been assigned the number 676 (HR 676).  Add ten points to "666" and we'll exorcise Lucifer, once and for all.  This measure now has about 100 sponsors --- and it's growing! The Senate version is SB 1782.

If your member of Congress hasn't signed onto it yet, give 'em a poke!  It's time!

* Here's what I meant by "Senior Bookend."  Whenever McConnell makes any sort of official announcement/proclamation, he's always flanked by the same two senators:  Senior Bookend Cornyn, to his left, and  on his starboard side, Junior Bookend John Barrasso(R), a solemn-looking, bespectacled non-household name of a senator from Wyoming.

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