Republicans Want ONE More Vote To Repeal Obamacare – Rand Paul Says No [VIDEO]

by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton | September 19, 2017 12:28 pm

The Republicans are going at Obamacare one last time. Here’s how I see this. I view the fight against Obamacare as a war… a series of battles. The latest proposal is authored by Sens. Lindsey Graham (SC), Bill Cassidy (LA) and other Republican colleagues. It’s far from perfect and not what I would rather have. Having said that, it’s a step in the right direction and improves the standing on Obamacare somewhat. Both Ted Cruz and Mike Lee seem inclined to support the bill. It would give more power back to the individual states. This is not a full repeal of Obamacare, but it does nix some of the really bad parts of it. It’s a battle we can win.

Rand Paul will vote no on this and his reasoning is sound… it’s not a full repeal of Obamacare. He states that it would keep most of the subsidies and taxes in place and merely redistribute them. I get that, but knowing that I am never going to get all I want here, I believe it is time to move this forward so we can at least make some progress towards fixing this mess. Rand Paul wants all of Obamacare axed and so do I. But that’s not going to happen here. Instead, Paul is suggesting something called ‘health care associations’, where individuals could join across state lines to form groups or associations to get leverage on cheaper prices for healthcare. Collective bargaining groups are a good idea, but that does not handle this whole bag of worms. Sorry Rand… you have to make the best deal you can make and I think we have reached that point.

In order for the Graham-Cassidy bill to pass, we are back to the same old people who were roadblocks last time… Lisa Murkowski (AK), John McCain (AZ) and Susan Collins (ME). None of them are a sure thing, but they may vote yes on this bill for a variety of reasons. McCain, who hates Trump’s guts, would really love to tank this and is being very bitter. However, it’s his best bud Lindsey Graham at the helm of this legislation. It’s a good bet he’ll go for it for that reason alone. Both Collins and Murkowski have not said no yet… they want to see how it will affect their states, but they seem open to supporting it.

Deals are being made as I write this, but this time I get the feeling this may fly. House Majority Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) told reporters Monday that he would quickly put the bill up to a vote in the House of Representatives if passed in the Senate. He called it “our best, last chance to get repeal and replace done” and added that it was “a far greater improvement over the status quo.” Senator Lindsey Graham, who is sponsoring the bill, highlighted the block granting of Obamacare funds to the states. “If you walk away, and you give up,” he warned on Fox News, “we’ll never get over this.” And as much as I hate to say it, Graham is right.

The bill still cuts Medicaid and defunds Planned Parenthood. The measure, attached to a “reconciliation” bill that allows a simple majority vote, would give states more flexibility in deciding those cuts and coverage decisions. The House Freedom Caucus is also supporting the bill. Let’s just get this done and move on to tax reform. No one is going to get everything they want here, but they may get what they need.

Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/republicans/republicans-want-one-vote-repeal-obamacare-rand-paul-says-no-video/

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