Some Congressional Republicans are threatening a government shutdown if Obamacare isn't defunded. The only problem with that is, no matter how tough their talk, it will be impossible to defund most of the healthcare bill. In other words, some GOP members are threatening a government shutdown to simply look tough and rile their supporters.
Melissa Seeley of the Health Affairs blog explained the matter as follows:
"The pillars of the law's health insurance expansion strategy-increased eligibility for Medicaid and the new premium and cost-sharing subsidies for private health insurance - are exempt from the annual appropriations process. These so-called 'mandatory' or 'entitlement' programs are permanent and have permanent funding authority. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services has the ability to fund related provisions without seeking additional appropriations from Congress. For example, Federal grants to states to plan and build the new health insurance exchanges fall into this category. It also includes funding necessary to immediately lower insurance costs for uninsured individuals with preexisting conditions and early retirees."
In other words, this tough talk by the GOP is for nothing. Also, they seem to be forgetting the fact that Democrats control the Senate and the Oval Office. A bill to defund Obamacare, even if it were possible, wouldn't pass the Senate, and even in the odd scenario that it did, the president wouldn't sign it.
Can you imagine the following headline- "Obama Defunds Obamacare!"? I don't think so.
So, let's think this over for a minute. The Republican Party is threatening to shut down the government in order to defund a law which will be minimally affected in such a scenario, and there's less chance of the bill passing the Senate and getting signed by the president than a fetus has at winning the lottery. Yeah, that sounds like a winning strategy. If the party does go that route, they may have to alter Vince Lombardi's quote to represent their party before long - from "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing" to "Winning isn't everything; it's - what is it again?"
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2011/01/04/171854/defund-entitlement/
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/09/19/2647171/republican-civil-war-breaks-obamacare-defunding-wont-stop-reform/
Melissa Seeley of the Health Affairs blog explained the matter as follows:
"The pillars of the law's health insurance expansion strategy-increased eligibility for Medicaid and the new premium and cost-sharing subsidies for private health insurance - are exempt from the annual appropriations process. These so-called 'mandatory' or 'entitlement' programs are permanent and have permanent funding authority. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services has the ability to fund related provisions without seeking additional appropriations from Congress. For example, Federal grants to states to plan and build the new health insurance exchanges fall into this category. It also includes funding necessary to immediately lower insurance costs for uninsured individuals with preexisting conditions and early retirees."
In other words, this tough talk by the GOP is for nothing. Also, they seem to be forgetting the fact that Democrats control the Senate and the Oval Office. A bill to defund Obamacare, even if it were possible, wouldn't pass the Senate, and even in the odd scenario that it did, the president wouldn't sign it.
Can you imagine the following headline- "Obama Defunds Obamacare!"? I don't think so.
So, let's think this over for a minute. The Republican Party is threatening to shut down the government in order to defund a law which will be minimally affected in such a scenario, and there's less chance of the bill passing the Senate and getting signed by the president than a fetus has at winning the lottery. Yeah, that sounds like a winning strategy. If the party does go that route, they may have to alter Vince Lombardi's quote to represent their party before long - from "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing" to "Winning isn't everything; it's - what is it again?"
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2011/01/04/171854/defund-entitlement/
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/09/19/2647171/republican-civil-war-breaks-obamacare-defunding-wont-stop-reform/
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