House Speaker Paul Ryan, told FOX News that he is "encouraged" by a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report to the effect that around 24 million low-income Americans will lose their healthcare as a result of the implementation of the GOP plan that was devised to replace Obamacare. The plan, called the American Health Care Act, as it is written currently, will terminate the health coverage that now is being provided to 24 million Americans who did not have any health coverage at all before the implementation of Obamacare.
Ryan's expectations exceeded
Ryan also stated that the American Health Care Act "exceeded" his expectations. The GOP Speaker who replaced John Boehner after he stepped down stated, “We’re saying the government’s not going to force people to buy something they don’t want to buy,” (Huffington Post, 3/13/17). Ryan then bestowed the virtues of the bill that does not mandate that American citizens purchase something that they don't want. As Ryan sees it, the mandates that require citizens to purchase health care, are problematic. Under Obamacare, the premiums paid by the people for their health care paid for the health care of less fortunate citizens.
Under the newly written and proposed American Health Care Act, poorer citizens are not provided health care benefits by other Americans or by anybody else.
Health care premiums will be prohibitive and beyond the reach of poor Americans. This causes this observer to ask if it is a matter of low-income Americans not wanting to purchase health care, or if it is a matter of affordability. As GOP Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton sees it, it is the latter. Cotton warned his GOP colleagues in the House over the weekend that if they vote for the newly revised plan, that they will lose the House and possibly also the Senate in the 2018 midterm elections.
Obamacare in 'collapse.'
Ryan also told FOX News that he is encouraged by the CBO Report's finding that the Affordable Health Care Act will result in a reduction of the federal budget deficit to the tune of $337 billion. Ryan stated that he was "excited" over the fact that the new GOP plan, "will lower premiums and improve access to health care," (The Huffington Post, 3/113/17).
Ryan then described Obamacare as being "in collapse." The Speaker, who once was rumored to be a presidential contender, then concluded his remarks by saying: "This compared to the status quo is far better," (The Huffington Post, 3/13/17). In his concluding remarks, Ryan failed to mention the fact that the premiums are being lowered only among those who can afford to pay them, namely the affluent. Since the premiums are being lowered, there will be no money left over for providing care for the poor, as there was under Obamacare. The 24 million Americans left holding the bag will have no health care whatsoever, and Paul Ryan says that he is "encouraged."
Michael Flynn paid big money by Turkey
Meanwhile, it was revealed last week that Former NSA Advisor Michael Flynn was paid a half of a million dollars by the government of Turkey while advising Donald Trump in his presidential campaign and serving on his transition team.
Flynn resigned as NSA Advisor after it was revealed that he misled Vice-President Mike Pence into believing that he did not discuss America's sanctions against Russia with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
