House Republicans are to Blame for the American Health Care Act

By Gabrielle Seunagal
 
In a not so shocking turn of events, it was announced today that House Republicans pulled the ACHA vote from the floor after learning of the dismal number of votes in which the bill would receive. As expected, the ACHA’s stark unpopularity combined with the GOP’s stubbornness to proceed with the bill resulted in no deal and several more years of Obamacare. Republicans should have listened to Rand Paul, who was against Obamacare from the start and recommended immediate revisions. Even worse, Speaker Ryan declared that the GOP is now “moving on” from healthcare and focusing on other reforms.
 
Repealing and replacing Obamacare was a central promise made to the American people by the President and the Republican Party. They owe it to the people of this nation to do better than simply “moving on.” That is unacceptable and a direct slap in the face to the men and women who suffered because of Obamacare’s disastrous policies. The same people will continue to suffer because of the GOP’s inability to acknowledge the unpopularity of the ACHA and implement the requested changes.
 

 
 
The American Health Care Act was massively flawed. It repealed the funding mechanisms which permitted insurance companies to cover persons with pre-existing conditions, thus allowing premiums to keep increasing. AHCA also paved the way for illegal immigrants to obtain health insurance since verifying the immigration status of applicants would cease to be mandated. Allowing illegal immigrants to benefit from health insurance would have only added to the massive debt this country is afflicted with. AHCA also engendered a new entitlement program, a 30% surcharge on persons who decide to sever ties with health insurance, and allowed Medicaid expansion to remain in place. The American Health Care Act was a complete catastrophe and Republicans are to blame for their gridlock and refusal to heed the warnings of so many conservatives who spoke out against the doomed bill.
Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. House Republicans would have done well to listen to conservatives like Rand Paul and others who were vehemently against the American Health Care Act. If they had conducted themselves admirably and made the plethora of revisions, the bill would have most likely passed, and Obamacare would be gone. Due to the stubbornness of Republican leaders, Obamacare remains in place, premiums will continue to rise, and Americans will suffer as a result. At some point, the GOP will have to return to the issue of health care reform, reach a successful resolution, and fulfill their promises to the people of this nation.