Name the ways that America is worse under President Obama? President
Obama indicated in his promissory speeches that he would improve America? However, he has done nothing of the kind, in fact, he has made America much worse since his takeover in the White House. Do you think that America has become worse under President Obama? The main crux of Obama's presidency is the albatross, Obama"care" which will eventually bankrupt America.Retief is essentially correct to claim not one Republican cast a vote in favor of the final version of the ACA. It has me wondering why Republicans totally stonewall the principles of a national health care insurance program funded by an individual mandate and, where needed, by government subsidies or vouchers. These have all been the legislative objectives of many Republicans going back at least as far as President Nixon.
Nixon’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan
A major national health insurance program was the goal of Republican President Richard Nixon in a Special Message to the Congress Proposing a Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan, February 6, 1974. “For the average family," he wrote, “it is clear that without adequate insurance, even normal care can be a financial burden while a catastrophic illness can mean catastrophic debt.” {1}
Obamacare sired by Ultra-Conservatives
Stuart Butler of the far right conservative Heritage Foundation proposed a plan in 1989 he called “Assuring Affordable Health Care for All Americans.” The plan’s provision to “mandate all households to obtain adequate insurance” is based on a very simple principle: “A mandate on individuals recognizes this implicit contract. Society does feel a moral obligation to insure that its citizens do not suffer from the unavailability of health care. But on the other hand, each household has the obligation, to the extent it is able, to avoid placing demands on society by protecting itself.” {2}
Republican legislation mimics Obamacare
An individual health insurance mandate was part of two bills introduced by Republican lawmakers in 1993. One, the Health Equity and Access Reform Today Act of 1993, sponsored by Republican Senator John Chafee (R., R.I.) was also co-sponsored by 19 other Senate Republicans: Christopher Bond, Bob Dole, Chuck Grassley, Orrin Hatch, Richard Lugar, Alan Simpson, and Arlen Specter among them. This bill sponsored by 20 of the 43 Republicans in the Senate at that time called for an individual mandate and health insurance vouchers for low-income Americans. {3}
Romneycare, the prototype of Obamacare
Romneycare, the 2006 signature legislative achievement of Republican presidential candidate and former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, served as the model for Obamacare. During the Las Vegas debate in October, 2011, Gov. Romney said: “we got the idea of an individual mandate from you [Newt Gingrich]… and you [Newt] got it from the Heritage Foundation.” {4}
Romneycare wins praise from conservatives
Former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote: “the most exciting development of the past few weeks is what has been happening up in Massachusetts. The health bill that Governor Romney signed into law this month has tremendous potential to effect major change in the American health system.” He also said he and other conservatives “agree entirely with Governor Romany and Massachusetts legislators that our goal should be 100% insurance coverage for all Americans… The individual mandate requires those who earn enough to afford insurance to purchase coverage, and subsidies will be made available to those individuals who cannot afford insurance on their own. We agree strongly with this principle.” {5}
In 2007, 12 Republican senators including Senators Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Michael D. Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced the Healthy Americans Act. The bill called for all individuals to have healthcare insurance coverage and to provide subsidies where necessary to ensure that everyone can afford it. {6}
Hindsight is 20/20
It plain to see that Republicans have long been advocates of the goals and mechanisms in the Affordable Care Act but ferociously oppose the law today in part because it was proposed by a Democratic President. The public record shows it was not until 2009, as the ACA moved through a Democratic Congress, did Republicans declare Obamacare’s individual mandate provision “unconstitutional.” As we all know, the Heritage Foundation, the Congressional Budget Office and the Supreme Court did not agree.
A review of the public record reveals that Republicans were the first to embrace the underlying principles found in the ACA of 2010. Furthermore, they did so decades before lobbyist Jeanne Schulte Scott coined “Obama-care” and long before the Republican Tea Party Caucus set out to bury it.
{1} http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories … posal.aspx
{2} http://healthcarereform.procon.org/sour … ricans.pdf
{3} http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories … -bill.aspx
{4} http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ … se.05.html
{5} http://web.archive.org/web/200608220611 … etterid=20
{6} http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co … 02523.htmlRetief,
I must be loosing my touch. I can not find any evidence that Chief Justice Roberts regularly abuses prescription medication. The closest I come is a tinfoil theory from a dim witted conservative radio personality repeated by a stable of moronic bloggers and non-thinkers. Surely, you have a link to a credible source. Of course, a simple retraction will do.
How do you do, Ms. Williams. Glad to see you here today.
The last time I listed how much better I am since President Obama took office I was falsely accused of aping liberal talking points. Clearly, I can not speak for the entire country but suffice it to say I am personally much better off today than on inauguration day 2009. I would be happy to post all of my positive gains under the Obama Administration but I suspect you only want to hear negatives.
By the way, anyone who has followed the progress of the Affordable Care Act knows that projected costs of the insurance coverage provision continue to decline year after year compared to earlier estimates. It is easy for all to see that the ACA is not showing any signs that it will bankrupt America. In fact, only diehard opponents of the law make such claims these days and they never can supply any proof it will actually happen. I trust you will provide more than just political rhetoric without substance. The very latest financial analysis from the Congressional Budget Office reaffirms the ACA’s continued overall net fiscal health for the next decade and the one after.
Beyond just the Insurance Coverage provisions of the ACA, analysts say the total budgetary impact of the law “includes many other provisions that, on net, will reduce budget deficits. Taking the coverage provisions and other provisions together, CBO and JCT have estimated that the ACA will reduce deficits over the next 10 years and in the subsequent decade.” [Emphasis added.] {1}
In stark contrast, the OP statement professes to know more about the ACA than the CBO. Never the less, I am sure you have sound logical reasons to believe the ACA will bankrupt the nation. Please give us data we can verify and discuss.
Until then, Grace, I have to tell you how much I love the passion in your prose. Never let that get away. Have a wonderful night.
{1} http://www.cbo.gov/publication/44176
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