Eight years of Republican bluster and bluff fail to undo Obamacare

Eight years… A lifetime. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced his goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade. A little over eight years after that famous speech, in 1969, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission would land the first humans on the moon.

Eight years. That’s the amount of time Republicans had to come up with a better plan to replace the one President Barack Obama presented and passed. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) became known as Obamacare to many. Republicans called it a disaster. They said it was the worst law ever passed. House Speaker Paul Ryan said that “the law is literally in the middle of a collapse.” And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor said: “Obamacare continues to unravel at every level, leaving Americans to pick up the pieces.”

Interestingly, when asked what the problem was, few, if anyone really, was able to give a good and credible answer as to why “Obamacare” was THAT bad. The talking points were many; reality was another thing. Could it be made better? I bet you if you asked Michael Jordan, recognized as the finest basketball player that ever lived, if he could have been better, he would not hesitate to answer the question with a yes. Anything and everything can always be made better.

But to scrap it… for something worse! And more expensive?!

Republicans presented a “new and better” law that would immediately leave 14 million Americans, who today have health insurance, with none. A “new and better” law that would raise premiums by about 15 percent, as reported by the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO), while asserting that more than 55 million Americans would find themselves without health insurance by 2026.

Seriously!?! Is this the best the Republicans could come up with?

The Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) — from here on in known as the first version of ‘TrumpDoesn’tCare’ Act — went down in flames last week. Thank goodness! As I stated earlier, and as reported by the CBO, this “new” and “better” law would have been the real disaster for Americans.

A Congress made up of a bunch of hypocrites — too many whose only truth is money, individualism and self-interest — were shot down by constituents, both Republicans and Democrats, who said enough to their bluffing. These new rulers in Congress are simply neoconservative members of the House and Senate whose “Jesus-scented rhetoric is merely a religious cover for the dark, selfish philosophy that motivates them,” as is stated in an article written by John WL Berry that we feature in Progreso Weekly. They try to fool voters into believing that they are looking out for them, while they mask their hatred, racism and greed with overused titles such as “greatness” and “exceptionalism”.

Well, they went too far. Our health and its care is one subject that touches each and every person on this earth. Its cost is a very real worry to most of us. And these pretend-Jesus-loving idiots wanted to slip a law past us that would hurt the 99-percent so that the one-percent could profit even more. “Hell NO!” the American public responded — and loudly.

So it’s back to the drawing board. We will see what they come up with next. The fact is that a congress run by an Ayn Rand devotee such as House Speaker Ryan will find a way to present a “new and better” law again with a little make-up here and a little touch-up there. Remember that Rand promoted an unoriginal dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest philosophy which is now the foundation for conservatives, Republicans, and Libertarians. And the majority of us do not fall under their plan.

As for President Donald Trump, it’s another big loss. In his own language, “A huuuuge loss!” As a candidate, president-elect, and president, Trump promised to repeal Obamacare at least 68 times.

Trump and congressional Republicans ran into, face-first, a truth in their drive to repeal Obamacare. They had NO clear and worthwhile replacement alternative. And Americans saw through that.

Eight years is a long time. Kennedy’s words inspired this country to put men on the moon in less time than it took Republicans to show the world that they were simply bluffing when it came to Obamacare. Oh! And one other thing, the eight years proved that Republicans are lousy poker players.