TrumpCare

[eleanorigby]

Originally Posted by Colonel Plink

BOOM!

I love you, man...

Thing of beauty and a joy forever...

[Rat Diva]

Trouble in paradise: the representative from my district, Congressmannequin Lou Barletta, who was one of the first to crawl so far up Trump's ass he can probably see daylight through Trump's eyeballs, is NOT voting in favor of Trumpcare!

Granted, it's entirely for the wrong reasons (o noes, illegal immigrants might accidentally get some of those sweet federal tax credits!!! ) but we must take what we can get at this point.

And if Lou does lose his seat in the next election, that's all to the good.

[Scuba Ben]

That's the nutcase of the ACA vs. AhCA fight in a nutshell: The reasonable people (almost entirely Democrats) think AhCA is too nasty, and the hyperconservatives (presumably including Barletta) think AhCA isn't nasty enough.

How did America fall so far that "mercy" includes "turning the national back on people who desperately need health care coverage"? I believe the answer involves the fact that there are more Republican hands on the tiller than Democratic hands.

[Rat Diva]

While Lou was mayor of Hazleton (your typical struggling small city that went kaput after NEPA's coal industry died out) he decided the best way to get rid of All The Crime was to crack down on Hazleton's very large and thriving Hispanic community illegal immigrants. He wanted to revoke the business licences of any businesses that were caught employing illegals and make it illegal to translate any official correspondence into any language but English. A bunch of civil rights groups sued the hell out of the city and thankfully cooler heads in state and federal court prevailed. Then Trump came along and Lou hitched his wagon to that particular star because Trump promised to do the same on the national level. He was also angling for a cabinet post, and was reportedly quite butthurt over not getting one, which I'm sure has nothing to do with why he's going against Trump on the healthcare issue.

So yeah, it's insane and sad and really mind-boggling that I'm counting on such a loathsome sack of cockroaches in human drag to break step with his idol because the idol isn't being awful enough, in order to delay millions of my fellow Americans from being fucked over by their own government. SAD.

[Scuba Ben]

The latest AhCA analysis projects that the number of Americans with health care coverage will fall by one million people more than simply repealing the ACA.

The analysis also shows that repealing two ACA taxes on individuals will benefit only people making at least $200,000 per year. (I assume that this is AGI.)

To our resident conservatives and Trump fans: Wait, WHAT?

[Rat Diva]

Oh, they'll just huff and puff and dissemble about how those million people won't really be losing coverage because reasons and repealing the taxes really benefits everyone because safe spaces betacuck liberal snowflake Lyin' Hillary.

[PlantCarnivorous]

Fake news. Sad.

[running coach]

Originally Posted by PlantCarnivorous

Fake news. Sad.

Fake fake news. Sadder.

[BJMoose]

Originally Posted by Scuba Ben

The analysis also shows that repealing two ACA taxes on individuals will benefit only people making at least $200,000 per year. (I assume that this is AGI.)

But of course.

[Simple Dog]

Now a repeal of coverage requirements is going to be included, to appease the members who were voting no because it didn't hurt enough people.

[Scuba Ben]

More fun stuff. The annual contribution limit to HSAs would double to about $13k under the AhCA. Analysis shows that the average private contribution per year is less than $2k.

Therefore increasing the HSA contribution limit benefits only people who have $10k in spare cash to put into a tax shelter.

@hardcoreconservative880, how does this sort of tax shelter benefit ordinary cunts like you, me, and everybody else on the Geeb?

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Scuba Ben

More fun stuff. The annual contribution limit to HSAs would double to about $13k under the AhCA. Analysis shows that the average private contribution per year is less than $2k.

Therefore increasing the HSA contribution limit benefits only people who have $10k in spare cash to put into a tax shelter.

@hardcoreconservative880, how does this sort of tax shelter benefit ordinary cunts like you, me, and everybody else on the Geeb?

You misunderstand. Ordinary cunts don't count. Only rich cunts.

[Scuba Ben]

Originally Posted by running coach

You misunderstand. Ordinary cunts don't count. Only rich cunts.

Correction noted.

[Scuba Ben]

CNN reports that the AhCA vote in the House has been delayed until at least tomorrow.

[PlantCarnivorous]

NPR interviewed two Republican Senators. One said the new plan didn't give enough care to his constituents in NY, nor did it lower premiums. Another, sounding as though he were spitting teeth, declared that they had promised to repeal the AFC act, and they must do it because they had promised the American people.

[Flying Saucerian]

Like I said before, I went through this already with the comic book people. They're simply incapable of grasping the concept poor people don't have money. It's just beyond their scope of existence. It's like trying to explain to them clean underwear doesn't just appear in their bureau every morning.

[BJMoose]

Originally Posted by Scuba Ben

CNN reports that the AhCA vote in the House has been delayed until at least tomorrow.

Looks like they don't have enough votes yet.

[Simple Dog]

hahahahahahahahahahaha

President Donald Trump is demanding a vote Friday in the House on the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said. If the bill fails, Trump is prepared to move on and leave Obamacare in place, Mulvaney said.

He's such a good dealmaker though.

[AuntiePam]

It seems like they didn't even try to come up with something that could pass. Is that their strategy? Keep bitching about Obamacare all through the midterms?

I can't believe some Republicans wanted to get rid of the pre-existing condition guarantee, and leaving kids on parents' plans until age 26. Those were two things that everyone seemed to like about the ACA. And then the EHB bullshit -- plans not required to provide basic services like maternity and pediatric and mental health care. WTF? Purposeful self-sabotage?

[Metallic Squink]

I read an article somewhere (I can't remember where) that suggested the GOP wanted to propose something with little chance of passing so that it would fail and they could move on to something else. Like maybe they didn't really want to get rid of ACA but it was popular to bash it when Obama was President. If they really wanted health care reform, they would have spent some of the last seven years actually trying to write something that would pass instead of this half-assed budget proposal that isn't even technically a repeal of the ACA.

I also think that Trump has very little patience for the traditional political process. He's already bored with talking about health care and wants to talk about something else. He was just blathering when he talked about health care reform because he knew it would get him votes. But when it comes down to actually doing something about it, he can't be bothered.

[BJMoose]

Isn't that convenient? If Congress doesn't pass a health care plan, he can say he tried to keep his promise but Congress wouldn't let him.

Think he'll do the same thing when they refuse to vote the massive funds necessary for building the Great Wall?

Who knows? In six months he may become the most invisible president we've ever had. (Be nice. I'm still on my first cup of coffee.)

[Scuba Ben]

I find two ironic points in the delay and possible collapse of the Un-American Health Care Act.

1. The Republicans have railed against the Affordable Care Act ever since it was passed seven years ago, but even now have no plan that delivers better health care.
2. The AhCA is collapsing because, please see my post #53.

And the Donald has basically told the Republican Party in general (and possibly the Freedom Caucus tea baggers in particular) that if they can't throw 24 million Americans off of health care coverage and sabotage coverage for nearly everybody else, fine! They can't throw anybody off of coverage and can't sabotage anything!

Expect the Donald to send out at least two distracting tweets between now and Monday morning. Unless one already happened today.

[PlantCarnivorous]

Originally Posted by Scuba Ben

1. The Republicans have railed against the Affordable Care Act ever since it was passed seven years ago, but even now have no plan that delivers better health care.

Do they truly want better health care, or do they just want to not spend money on the people who cannot afford insurance?

[Scuba Ben]

Originally Posted by PlantCarnivorous

Do they truly want better health care, or do they just want to not spend money on the people who cannot afford insurance?

It seems to me that the Republicans do not want to spend money on the people who cannot afford the full price of health insurance. That would be about 95% of the country, including you.

There's a policy discussion behind that, better suited for a new thread: To what extent should the USA government intervene in the health care and health-care insurance industries? (In fact, this is a good question to periodically ask about each industry in a market economy and a representative democratic government.)

[Anacanapuna]

Originally Posted by PlantCarnivorous

Do they truly want better health care, or do they just want to not spend money on the people who cannot afford insurance?

They don't care, as long as they destroy the one good thing the black man did when he was president. I've told you people all along, this has NOTHING to do with health care and everything to do with (don't click below if you're easily offended.)

putting the nigger back in his place.

[Scuba Ben]

Puna, I don't question your conclusion, I only question whether that is the sole purpose. I've read several analyses this week that say the main point of the AhCA is a backdoor tax cut on the One Percenters. But I do not expect a centrist analyst to come right out and state what appears to have been the primary effort of the Tea Party movement / GOP hyper-conservative wing for the past several years.

That's what I get for hanging around civility instead of the fringe.

[PlantCarnivorous]

I imagine that is the reason for some lawmakers, but not all of them.

[Scuba Ben]

Originally Posted by PlantCarnivorous

I imagine that is the reason for some lawmakers, but not all of them.

Which ones? Your best guess is fine.

And what do you think the reasons are that all the other lawmakers who are favoring the AhCA want to gut health care coverage and approve major tax breaks?

[PlantCarnivorous]

Originally Posted by Scuba Ben

Which ones? Your best guess is fine.

And what do you think the reasons are that all the other lawmakers who are favoring the AhCA want to gut health care coverage and approve major tax breaks?

Well, Strom Thurmond is dead, so I'll go with that rat faced guy, Mitch McConnell.

Why do the others want to gut health care? They hate the middle and lower class, whatever their color.

[running coach]

Originally Posted by PlantCarnivorous

Well, Strom Thurmond is dead, so I'll go with that rat faced guy, Mitch McConnell.

Why do the others want to gut health care? They hate the middle and lower class, whatever their color.

McConnell is a turtle. Ryan is the rat-faced one.
Get it straight.

[PlantCarnivorous]

Originally Posted by running coach

McConnell is a turtle. Ryan is the rat-faced one.
Get it straight.

Damn, your right. It's the mouth that makes me think rat.
How about "Turtle with a rat's mouth"?

[DoubleJ]

With McConnell I've always wondered (a) what happened to his chin, (b) why the doctors decided to solve the problem by stapling a ballsack in its place.

[PlantCarnivorous]

Originally Posted by DoubleJ

With McConnell I've always wondered (a) what happened to his chin, (b) why the doctors decided to solve the problem by stapling a ballsack in its place.

Perhaps the surgery was done when he didn't have the Senate Medical Plan.

I think it was a turkey neck transplant.

[Beadalin]

Fuck yeah:
http://www.npr.org/2017/03/24/521395...alth-care-bill

The vote is off.

[Random Precision]

It's official, the Pubbies have pulled the AHCA for lack of votes rather than face a defeat at the hands of their own party.

I expect a tweet from the Oval Office soon blaming it on a.) Obama, b.) illegals or c.) Angela Merkel any time now.

[PlantCarnivorous]

You win some, you lose some.
Nice to see Ryan without that smirk on his face.

[Scuba Ben]

I read a piece earlier today (either CNN or WaPo) claiming that the Freedom Caucus was actually playing against a sell out: If they didn't get very strong guarantees, they feared that they'd lose too much when the bill gets revised in a conference committee. For, the article predicted, the Freedom Caucus wouldn't have much voice (if any) in that committee.

[Chacoguy]

I wonder if NOW they will finally realize that killing Obamacare is bad for the nation.

[Lungfish]

No, they realised that it was bad for their re-election prospects.

[Jaglavak]

I usually refer to them as the Cactus Caucus.

[PlantCarnivorous]

Originally Posted by Lungfish

No, they realised that it was bad for their re-election prospects.

The guy I heard on NPR sounded righteous, that it would raise premiums and lower care.
But then, he is a politician.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by Chacoguy

I wonder if NOW they will finally realize that killing Obamacare is bad for the nation.

don't be silly

[PlantCarnivorous]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

don't be silly

I guess if I were wealthy I would screw all the little people to make more money.

[Random Precision]

Originally Posted by PlantCarnivorous

I guess if I were wealthy I would screw all the little people to make more money.

If you were wealthy, odds are that you'd already screwed all the little people to get that way. There aren't many exceptions to this.

[Rat Diva]

Originally Posted by Random Precision

It's official, the Pubbies have pulled the AHCA for lack of votes rather than face a defeat at the hands of their own party.

I expect a tweet from the Oval Office soon blaming it on a.) Obama, b.) illegals or c.) Angela Merkel any time now.

He's already blaming the Democrats for ruining the whole thing, disregarding the fact that 34 members of his own party were prepared to vote against it, and maybe questioning why they didn't like it instead of blindly following the leader. On top of his other flaws, the man has zero capacity for introspection.

My money is on his next tweetgasm being d) something totally random, like when he came up with the wiretapping horseshit to distract everyone from his budget plan.

[Random Precision]

Just curious, but has anyone ever explained to him that he's not actually in charge of the House or the Senate? Because he seems to treat them like divisional VPs of the company he's CEO of.

Of course he can't fire them, but he can Twitter them into political oblivion, so it's not that much different. I wonder when if they'll grow a collective spine and start actively opposing his bullshit.

[eleanorigby]

Let us hope this has given some credence to the notion that you cannot run a government or a country like a business. We're citizens, not widgets. Is there waste and fraud in government? Of course. (there's waste and fraud in business, too, but that's somehow never mentioned, but I digress).

I'm relieved today, but not jubilant or reassured. We have so much more to do. I am allowing myself to be encouraged, though.

And Puna, you are spot on. The blatant racism is disgusting. I thought America had made more progress than this. Naive of me.

Maybe the GOPers will now STFU about the ACA at least for a little while? It'd be a relief. So sick of hearing them decry it and talk big. As if...

[Simple Dog]

Originally Posted by eleanorigby

Let us hope this has given some credence to the notion that you cannot run a government or a country like a business.

Especially a family business that you personally own. Trump's main business experience is perhaps the least useful possible, and his stint running a public company (where he was responsible to actual shareholders) was...not a success.

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Simple Dog

Especially a family business that you personally own. Trump's main business experience is perhaps the least useful possible, and his stint running a public company (where he was responsible to actual shareholders) was...not a success.

Seems to have been a success for hm. Which was the whole point.

[Pere]

Originally Posted by Simple Dog

...his stint running a public company (where he was responsible to actual shareholders) was...not a success.

It paid him very well. It was the people who bought in, believing in him, who got screwed.

Hmm.