HOUSE REPUBLICANS MUST NOT LET MILLIONS OF AMERICANS DIE

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     Why do certain Republicans in the United States House of Representatives want to let the poor, the elderly, the sick and the disabled...suffer?  Why do these GOP Members of Congress have a desire to deprive 24 million Americans the right to have health insurance?  After all...a Quinnipiac University Poll - published on Thursday, March 23rd, 2017 - says only 17 percent of Americans support the Republican's legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as "Obamacare."

     Although Democrats in both the House and the U.S. Senate have been saying it all along...the Congressional Budget Office - on March 13th - came to the conclusion that the Republican's proposed healthcare bill would put tens of millions of Americans in a direction towards death.  The measure is a devastating blow to the neediest of people, as such legislation - if passed - would dramatically lower their benefits.  But it would be a pathway for the rich and super-rich to be spared higher taxes.  It's just like Republicans to do anything they can to cut taxes for the wealthy.

     The CBO justifiably confirms everything that former President Barack Obama...and Democrats nationwide...are certain of...that to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act would be destructive to the lives of people who desperately require health insurance.

     The non-partisan CBO was established to advise Congress before policy decisions are made.  CBO analysts are objective and they know more about numbers than just about anybody else.

     Economist Keith Hall is the Director of the Congressional Budget Office and he was handpicked, in 2015, by Republicans.  Hall's CBO report states...that under the House healthcare bill, 14-million Americans would lose their insurance coverage in 2018.  And throughout the next ten years, that number would skyrocket to 24-million.  Each of those Americans currently have health insurance.

     I could spend paragraph upon paragraph of this column discussing the specifics of the GOP legislation, but - at this point - I would imagine that most of my readers are already fully aware of the measure's particulars.  I will, however, make note of some points.

     On September 7th, 2015 - during his campaign for President - Donald Trump told CBS News anchor Scott Pelley...in a 60 Minutes interview..."Everybody's got to be covered.  I am going to take care of everybody."

     And on January 25th, 2017, Trump basically repeated what he had said sixteen-and-a-half months before when he sat down with ABC News anchor David Muir. "What my plan is...is that I want to take care of everybody.  I'm not going to leave the lower twenty percent that can't afford insurance."

     Five days before - in his Inaugural Address on January 20th - Trump uttered the following seven words to the American people.  "I will never, ever, let you down."  On the contrary, Donald Trump has been letting down our country for the last two months.  And he will continue to do so for the balance of time that he occupies The White House...especially if he signs a healthcare bill that is anything similar to that which Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and most members of the House of Representatives have proposed.  But that won't happen since Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York is certain that should such a bill be delivered to the Senate...it would be dead on arrival.  Even Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas - in a March 12th interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on his This Week broadcast - said he has told his "friends in the House of Representatives" to "not walk the plank and vote for a bill that cannot pass the Senate...and then have to face the consequences of that vote." 

     The CBO says a 64-year old man...who earns 26-thousand-500-dollars a year will pay more than one-half of his annual income on healthcare under the Republican legislation.  Right now, with the Affordable Care Act...that man pays 17-hundred dollars for health insurance.  However...under a "Trumpcare"...or..."Ryancare"...that same man will be paying 14-thousand-600 dollars.  That is disgraceful...and certainly not affordable by any stretch of the imagination.  And to top it off...there would be a tax cut of 883-billion dollars with 274-billion of it going to the richest two percent of Americans.  

     Let's make this personal.  Getting sick has no connection to a person's politics. Cancer, heart disease, strokes, Alzheimer's Disease, AIDS and all other illnesses - whether mild, serious or terminal - do not care if you're a Democrat or a Republican. The proposed Republican bill will do exactly the opposite of what Trump promised all Americans.  He pledged to provide healthcare plans with better coverage...for everyone --- cheaper costs...for everyone --- and that nobody would lose their insurance.  But being the liar that Trump is...the GOP legislation will only lower premiums for the young and healthy, but raise costs - including higher premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums - for others, especially the elderly and individuals with chronic illnesses.  In other words...if you've got money, you're able to eat well and can take care of yourself overall so your healthcare will be much less expensive.  And if you're younger, healthy and working...you too will be saved from the enormous costs.  But anyone else...forget it.  In plain English...you're screwed.

     And then there's Medicaid and Medicare.  Donald Trump vowed he would not cut funding to either.  But, according to the CBO, the Republican bill will slash 880-billion dollars from Medicaid over the next decade and it will deplete the Medicare Trust Fund...all of which is going to tragically affect our nation's children...low-income Americans...senior citizens who require long-term care...and anyone with disabilities. How can a man who sits behind The Oval Office desk...or anyone in the Republican-controlled Congress...who claim they want to help people...instead go against those words...by deliberately hurting the neediest of Americans?  Do they not have a decent bone in their bodies?

     Republicans on Capitol Hill have one more chance to become human beings.  The GOP realized on Thursday afternoon, March 23rd that they could not pass their legislation that night because they don't have enough House Members to vote in favor of it. Republicans have been given a reprieve from performing evil...to search their souls Thursday night and early Friday, March 24th...before a vote is called Friday afternoon.  Hopefully those Republicans who have stated they will not say "yea" to the bill...will stick to their principles...not succumb to Donald Trump's snake-oil sales pitch...and, therefore, not change their minds.

     As I tweeted on March 12th..."Instead of doing it to Obamacare...let's repeal and replace Donald Trump."

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions.  Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.

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