The passage of the American health care Act in the House gave a new meaning to the term sausage making. The process leading up to the narrow vote for passage included two failures, and a lot of behind the scenes arm twisting and cajoling. The bill moves to the Senate where the betting is that the upper body will write its own measure that will Repeal and Replace Obamacare. So the law that eventually arrives at President Trump’s desk will likely not resemble the bill that passed the House, Nevertheless, a first step was taken in correcting what many see as the greatest public policy mistake in many decades.
The reaction of the various political factions could not be more different. President Donald Trump was jubilant, and well he should be. He had scored a legislative win, something he has not had a lot of in his presidency. The House Republicans also made a show of celebration. They had calculated that the cost of inaction would be greater than any cost they would entail for passing the bill, any bill, which shifted the burden to the Senate. But some are privately worried if the effects of the bill that eventually passes will damage the Republicans’ reelection chances.
The Democrats reacted in undisguised rage mixed in with some joyous anticipation. They are angry that the Republicans actually went ahead and started the dismantling of Obamacare, the passage of which so dearly cost them in the past several elections.
But they were also in a celebratory move. They sang when the final vote was tallied, thinking that it ensured a Democratic takeover of the House in 2018.
The Democrats are likely being swept away by their own rhetoric. Speeches on the floor during the debate on the AHCA were tinged with hysteria. Apparently, 24 million Americans are going to lose their health care, and the greater part of them are going to die.
The Democrats are gambling that enough Americans will believe that outcome to sweep them into power next year.
However, Obamacare is in a death spiral, with more and more insurance companies leaving the single policyholder market. The system is bound to collapse of its own weight in any case even if nothing is done to end it,
Much work needs to be done before Obamacare is on the ash heap of history.
The task will be difficult since rarely is a government operated system of benefits has been done away with. But Obamacare has been so dysfunctional, so expensive, and so fraught with dishonesty that it may just be that rare exception.
