WASHINGTON (June 27, 2016) – House Republicans unveiled their plan to replace Obamacare last week. Whether it would usher in “better” policies than the Affordable Care Act remains up for debate, but one thing is certain – it’s every bit as unconstitutional as Obamacare.
Republicans have tossed around the “repeal and replace” mantra for years. As soon as leadership uttered the word “replace,” it was clear the GOP had no intention on taking a constitutional route. In fact, the plan presented by Rep. Paul Ryan is nothing more than a Republican version of the same old unconstitutional insertion of the federal government into American’s healthcare that we got from the Dems.
Withdrawing the federal government completely from the system remains the sole constitutional route available to Congress when it comes to the issue of healthcare.
Neither party will ever do that.
Ever since passage of the ACA, conservatives have promised the GOP would deliver America from the vile clutches of Obamacare. And this is what we get? This tepid, unconstitutional, big-government plan that actually preserves “popular” pieces of the ACA is the best they can do?
No thanks.
Reuters describes some features of this Republican crown jewel.
Ryan’s proposal would keep some popular pieces, including not allowing people with pre-existing conditions to be denied coverage and permitting children to stay on their parents’ coverage until age 26.
It would also allow states that have already expanded the number of people eligible for Medicaid under the law to maintain the additional coverage, although it would prevent any new states from doing so.
For people without insurance through their jobs, the Republicans would establish a refundable tax credit. Obamacare also provides subsidies for people to buy insurance if they do not qualify for Medicaid.
It also includes long-held Republican proposals such as allowing consumers to buy health insurance across state lines, expanding health savings accounts, reforming medical liability rules and giving block grants to states to run Medicaid programs for the poor.
Some of these proposals might represent an improvement over Obamacare, Or they might not. But the bigger point is that no matter how you slice it, the Republican plan features all of the same big-government, central planning and federal meddling – not to mention unconstitutional federal overreach – they claim to hate from the Democrats.
This reveals an ugly secret: the GOP has no intention of limiting government. It cares nothing about the Constitution. It doesn’t want to get rid of government healthcare. The Republicans just want to control and run it.
If you want the federal government out of healthcare, it will take state action. The federal courts failed you and now the Republicans in Congress have made it clear they will fail you too.
