The Senate Obamacare “repeal and replace” bill that I can’t remember the name of died last night; Republicans didn’t have the votes. What is likely to happen next?
Mitch McConnell already trotted out the old “repeal and delay” law, and that was shot down by lunchtime. Are there any other options?
It appears Mitch has just about used up his options. Trump has been ranting about letting the ACA collapse, but it probably won’t collapse unless Republicans find a way to make it collapse. Left to itself, it will probably trudge along about the way it’s been trudging along — not perfect, but not awful, either.
See also Trump’s erratic leadership is killing the GOP’s agenda. Not only has he never held a job; it’s become clear the whole concept of “teamwork” eludes him.
Rubio already set the fail in motion two years ago: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/us/politics/marco-rubio-obamacare-affordable-care-act.html?_r=1
Plus there’s this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/11/this-is-how-obamacare-might-actually-explode/?utm_term=.f81c05081035
Tax reform (GOP version) died with Trumpcare. The plan was to cut spending (by throwing 22 million Americans off subsidized health care. The ‘savings’ from dooming tens of thousands of people to a premature death (statistically certain) was to be the core of the tax relief for the rich. This was to be a double gift – first profits for corporations would jump when they could dump employees from subsidized health care which employers paid for. Then the money they were not paying in taxes would be given back in tax relief. Trumpcare failed spectacularly – tax reform won’t get off the ground.
The Republican party has the House, the Senate and the Presidency. Yet they cannot pass a bill that they’ve been promising to their base for years. Does the Republican party actually exist? They say they do, but they’ve lied about so much else.
Dave reminds us that the thing which the GOP really cares about is lower taxes for the rich. With the Big Fail on ACA “Reform”, watch for them to undo the Sequester Rule which forces domestic spending cuts to be matched by cuts to defense spending.