American Politics Thread: Orange is the new POTUS (Archive)

[direwolf]

Statement from Obama today on the health care issue.

http://time.com/4710841/obamacare-re...ama-statement/

When I took office, millions of Americans were locked out of our health care system. So, just as leaders in both parties had tried to do since the days of Teddy Roosevelt, we took up the cause of health reform. It was a long battle, carried out in Congressional hearings and in the public square for more than a year. But ultimately, after a century of talk, decades of trying, and a year of bipartisan debate, our generation was the one that succeeded. We finally declared that in America, health care is not a privilege for a few, but a right for everybody.

The result was the Affordable Care Act, which I signed into law seven years ago today. Thanks to this law, more than twenty million Americans have gained the security and peace of mind of health insurance. Thanks to this law, more than ninety percent of Americans are insured – the highest rate in our history. Thanks to this law, the days when women could be charged more than men and Americans with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage altogether are relics of the past. Seniors have bigger discounts on their prescription drugs. Young people can stay on their parents’ plans until they turn 26 years old. And Americans who already had insurance received an upgrade as well – from free preventive care, like mammograms and vaccines, to improvements in the quality of care in hospitals that has averted nearly 100,000 deaths so far.

All of that is thanks to the Affordable Care Act. And all the while, since the law passed, the pace of health care inflation has slowed dramatically. Prices are still rising, just as they have every year for decades – but under this law, they’ve been rising at the slowest rate in fifty years. Families who get coverage through their employer are paying, on average, thousands of dollars less per year than if costs kept rising as fast as they were before the law. And reality continues to discredit the false claim that this law is in a “death spiral,” because while it's true that some premiums have risen, the vast majority of Marketplace enrollees have experienced no average premium hike at all. And so long as the law is properly administered, this market will remain stable. Likewise, this law is no “job-killer,” because America’s businesses went on a record-breaking streak of job growth in the seven years since I signed it.

So the reality is clear: America is stronger because of the Affordable Care Act. There will always be work to do to reduce costs, stabilize markets, improve quality, and help the millions of Americans who remain uninsured in states that have so far refused to expand Medicaid. I’ve always said we should build on this law, just as Americans of both parties worked to improve Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid over the years. So if Republicans are serious about lowering costs while expanding coverage to those who need it, and if they’re prepared to work with Democrats and objective evaluators in finding solutions that accomplish those goals – that’s something we all should welcome.

But we should start from the baseline that any changes will make our health care system better, not worse for hardworking Americans. That should always be our priority.
The Affordable Care Act is law only because millions of Americans mobilized, and organized, and decided that this fight was about more than health care – it was about the character of our country. It was about whether the wealthiest nation on Earth would make sure that neither illness nor twist of fate would rob us of everything we’ve worked so hard to build. It was about whether we look out for one another, as neighbors, and fellow citizens, who care about each other’s success. This fight is still about all that today. And Americans who love their country still have the power to change it.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Statement from Obama today on the health care issue.

damn, I miss that guy, makes Trump look mentally challenged.

compare that to... "I'm the President, and you're not"

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

damn, I miss that guy, makes Trump look mentally challenged.

Trump makes Trump look mentally challenged. He doesn't need any help on that.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Statement from Obama today on the health care issue.

http://time.com/4710841/obamacare-re...ama-statement/

Man, Obama has such a way with words. Very articulate and intelligent guy.

Meanwhile, President Baby is making statements like "my instincts are the best, that's why I'm president and you're not." Can't even imagine a bigger contrast.

[direwolf]

Jesus, what a mess. Can't believe this horrible bill still has a chance of getting pushed through.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.a00e3814581c

We’ll start with the bad news for House Speaker Paul D. Ryan.

A new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday shows that the American Health Care Act, the Republican bill championed by Ryan and due for a vote any minute now, is severely unpopular. Stunningly unpopular. It is, amazingly enough, less popular than Congress itself.

According to Quinnipiac, only 17 percent of Americans approve of the bill — and only 6 percent of the country supports it strongly. (Congress is approved of by 21 percent of the country.) By contrast, well over half of Americans disapprove of it, 43 percent of them strongly. In other words, more than twice as many people have strongly negative views of the bill than have any positive feelings for it.

[FlameOn]

A very in-depth analysis on why the Republicans are moving so quickly on the AHCA. Basically pass the bill with minimal support as fast as possible so they can further screw the majority of Americans by cutting taxes on the rich.

It all raises the question: Why the rush? Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House. They could, theoretically, pass something at any time. Instead, they’re hustling for a vote this week, less than three weeks after they unveiled the original version of the AHCA. So: Why?

Two big reasons.

The most important relates to the process Republicans hope to use to pass the replacement. The AHCA is part one of three meant to constitute a new system. While parts two and three are somewhat theoretical at this point, the strategy behind the AHCA is not.

Passing the AHCA relies on the congressional reconciliation process, a specific mechanism tied to the overall budget process. It was created in part to provide a system for adjusting mandatory spending figures that can’t be changed through the normal appropriations process. But it also creates a fast-track system for passing very specific types of legislation and — critically, for the purposes of this discussion — avoids filibusters in the Senate. If the AHCA can pass the House and if the Senate’s parliamentarian thinks it meets the various requirements necessary to be considered a reconciliation bill, Republicans only need 51 votes in the Senate (perhaps including that of Vice President Pence, in the event of a tie) for the bill to head to Trump’s desk.

Which brings us to the other reason Republicans are moving quickly: political opposition.

Republican leaders want to wrap up Obamacare reform and tax reform before August. Why August? Well, for one thing, because August is when Congress goes on recess and representatives generally head back to their districts and host town halls. When Republicans held town halls in January and February, it didn’t always go that well, because a lot of constituents showed up to complain about the attempt to overturn Obamacare.

By moving quickly, Republican leaders seem to think that they can get past the hurdle of opposition before it becomes insurmountable. They may have already missed that mark.

The result? A bill that will not receive unanimous Republican support in the House, which leverages a legislative trick to hopefully gain quick passage in the Senate so the party can move on to tax reform, but which has already garnered significant opposition from party members and the public and which might substantially change at the last minute.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...m_politics_pop

[Firebot]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Statement from Obama today on the health care issue.

http://time.com/4710841/obamacare-re...ama-statement/

Average American: Too long did not read, Obamacare is bad

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Just heard Fake News CNN is doing polls again despite the fact that their election polls were a WAY OFF disaster. Much higher ratings at Fox
6:35 AM - 20 Mar 2017
18,315 18,315 Retweets 88,316 88,316 likes

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump Mar 13
More
ObamaCare is imploding. It is a disaster and 2017 will be the worst year yet, by far! Republicans will come together and save the day.

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump Mar 9
More
Despite what you hear in the press, healthcare is coming along great. We are talking to many groups and it will end in a beautiful picture!
43,323 replies 19,084 retweets 110,731 likes
Reply 43K Retweet 19K
Like 111K

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump Mar 4
More
How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!
105,726 replies 53,518 retweets 164,637 likes
Reply 106K Retweet 54K
Like 165K

Now THAT is presidential and making America great again!

[ernie]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

I don't think single payer would ever win out in the US. There are good things that come out of for-profit medicine too. ie, better facilities, hospitals, incentive for research, etc. A system that balances that out with some kind of protection for a decent minimum level of coverage for everyone would probably be the winning formula. ie, make Medicare available to everyone as an option combined with some kind of refundable tax credit that could either go to medicare premiums or whichever health care option you choose.

While the system you propose would be better single payer is still the way to go IMO. The US can still have all those nice things especially given how much they already pay into socialized medicine. The money is there to already to make healthcare accessible to all and still be a world leader in terms of facilities. This is a very very very rich country that can easily afford the best healthcare in the world for every single one of their citizens, have the best hospitals and pay their doctors far more than most other professionals have a chance to make.

[FlameOn]

More Congressmen calling for complete shutdown of government to focus on Trump investigation through an independent commission. If there are 20 Republicans with a shred of integrity left, we may be seeing more action soon on this matter.

“The bombshell revelation that U.S. officials have information that suggests Trump associates may have colluded with the Russians means we must pause the entire Trump agenda. We may have an illegitimate President of the United States currently occupying the White House.”

“Other than allowing routine governmental functions, there must be a total and complete shutdown of any agenda item being pushed by the Trump Administration. Congress cannot continue regular order and must stop voting on any Trump-backed agenda item until the FBI completes its Trump-Russia collusion investigation.”

“Congress must immediately form an independent commission and appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the collusion allegations with impartiality and independence. Congress also needs to pass the Resolution of Inquiry, authored by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and I, to compel the Trump Administration to publicly disclose information on its Russian ties to the American people. At this point in our nation's history, there is nothing more important than finding out whether or not high crimes were committed by associates of Donald Trump or possibly by Trump himself.”

https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/...llusion-russia

[burn_this_city]

Repubs have already shown its party over country, just look a Nunez yesterday.

[DuffMan]

It's like Republicans think everyone has the same government Health plan that they do, and that's why they keep saying the people voted to repeal Obamacare.
People are starting to wake up.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

More Congressmen calling for complete shutdown of government to focus on Trump investigation through an independent commission. If there are 20 Republicans with a shred of integrity left, we may be seeing more action soon on this matter.

https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/...llusion-russia

It was ethical Republicans that brought down Nixon.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

It's like Republicans think everyone has the same government Health plan that they do, and that's why they keep saying the people voted to repeal Obamacare.
People are starting to wake up.

Oh they don't think that.

They think, and for the most part are correct, that the voting public is stupid enough to not follow what's going on or get educated on things. They think they can simply do things that help themselves and friends. They know they chose a career that only on the surface pretends to put constituents and country first. And it goes to the other side of the aisle as well.

Nothing will ever illustrate that better (to me) than the John Oliver gun control piece on the Daily Show. He talked to the Aussie MP who spearheaded the gun control legislation. Oliver asked him if he was concerned about re-election when he did it. The answer was basically "I knew I was never going to get re-elected if I did it. But somebody had to do it. It needed to be done and I'm proud I did it. My first priority is doing the right thing, not the right thing for me."

Oliver then talks to a US congressman and asks what his #1 priority is..the answer "getting re-elected". That's what it is all about for a good chunk of US politicians...I can get some power and make things better for me me me.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

damn, I miss that guy, makes Trump look mentally challenged.

compare that to... "I'm the President, and you're not"

Finally we can agree on something!

As a Canadian, healthcare is something I take for granted. I wish more Americans could do the same.

I can't believe that health care access is not a basic human right, at least in so-called first world countries.

[DuffMan]

How stupid are the people of Iowa - Donald J. Littlehands Drumpf

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Finally we can agree on something!

Oh, come on, don't pretend I haven't noticed you've come around to the fact that Trump is mentally unhinged. You've changed your tune quite a bit over the last few months.

[DuffMan]

House won't vote on health care Thursday -- bill in jeopardy

Washington (CNN)The House will not vote on the Republican health care bill Thursday, a GOP aide said, further putting efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare in jeopardy.

The decision came after multiple high-level and tense meetings at the White House and Capitol that failed to broker a compromise.
House Speaker Paul Ryan abruptly postponed, for a second time, a scheduled press briefing, instead staying behind closed doors to negotiate.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/23/politi...ote/index.html

[Drak]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Repubs have already shown its party over country, just look a Nunez yesterday.

Yah but not only was he on Trump's transition team, he has a winery business in Russia.

[burn_this_city]

Who knew it would be hard to deliver when you talk out of both sides of your mouth.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

Oh, come on, don't pretend I haven't noticed you've come around to the fact that Trump is mentally unhinged. You've changed your tune quite a bit over the last few months.

It's hard to continue supporting him when his response is "I'm the president and you're not"

However, I am still of the mind that any republican would have enacted many of his EOs, and although some posters here have tried to convince me they wouldn't have, I disagree. The republicans are continuing to love Trump because he is distracting the public from their agenda. And any other president would have done the same, but maybe with a slightly less Russian-corrupt group around him.