The noise from all sides of the healthcare debate has been loud and constant. Democrats are united against it. Some Republican conservatives in the senate are against it. The MSM is united that this will raise premiums, reduce coverage and hurt people. It will harm the poor while giving the wealthy more money because it will reduce Obamacare taxes. (Forgetting, of course, that any reduction of taxes goes only to those who pay them. They call that hurting the poor and rewarding the rich when a person or family gets to keep more of what they earn).
So if the senate is to pass this bill they will need to make concessions to some Republican senators. That, of course, may cause the loss of some moderates, and since no Democrats will vote for the bill it can’t pass without 50 senators. Add this, if it does pass then the house bill will have to be reconciled with the senate bill since it is different.
Now the President, Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan may well prove to be adept at maneuvering and get this through the senate and a congressional reconciliation. Then it will become law and they will own it. All the non coverage you are witnessing today on the ills of Obamacare in the MSM will be replaced with endless stories of pain and hurt. Obamacare will become Trump and Republican care with people dying.
With all that, what’s a President to do? Here’s our recommendation.
The President should let the standoff in the senate stand. Then he should become a leader. A leader of the people. He should be the hero riding in on the white horse. How?
The President should go on television for a national address. His message should be:
My fellow citizens, I came to office promising you a better, more affordable health care program. Everyone of our citizens deserves a chance to decide upon what coverage they want, access to the best care, with options to choose from and a payment they can afford. For the first five months of my Presidency, I have tried to find a solution that satisfies all the parties with a stake in this. The House passed a bill that every Democratic member voted against. The senate put that bill aside and has been unable to garner sufficient votes to get one through. Again, every Democrat was against the bill and some of my party found fault, so 50 votes could not be garnered.
I have one interest here, and that is get a bill through that works for you. So I am taking this action immediately:
I am cancelling the August recess for Congress and calling them back into session. I am asking them to hold open sessions so coverage can be there and the American people can see it. If there are members who want to defend the AFA and tell people it is not falling apart they can do so. If others have a different agenda because they think it should be this and not that, then convince others and the American people. I am asking you to stay in session until you agree on a healthcare fix and system that accomplishes what we all want. The best coverage for the American people, with options and a cost they can afford.
We were sent here to do the right thing for our citizens, and their health and well being should be at the top of that list. I am asking all to bring an open mind and leave your partisan politics at the door. I feel confident that your representatives care more about the greater good and can get this done. When they do let’s not call it Obamacare or Trumpcare, or Congress care. Let’s just call it Peoplecare. End.
What’s the risk in the President doing this? Congress gets mad? That would help him, and the people of the country would support him. Plus, it would force congress to do one thing or another. Find a healthcare idea that works or leave Obamacare in place for now. In either case no one can blame the President. And if we leave Obamacare in place, the wrath of its increases and failure will fall where it belongs, on the party who passed it.