By Phil Jones.
The Tea Party faction of the Republican Party has dragged the rest of the Republican Party into a foolhardy shutdown of the United States government. Their openly stated reason is that they want the President to sign a bill defunding the Affordable Care Act (which they derisively call “Obamacare”). Of course, he will never do that, nor should he.
It is important to note several things. First, the Tea Party is a small minority of the overall composition of the Congress, and their supporters are a small minority of the American people. Their congresspersons, like all members of both houses, are sworn to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, to which they all profess to be ever so devoted.
The constitution provides for the election of representatives to both the House and the Senate, as well as the President. The constitution gives the people’s elected representatives in Congress the power to enact laws, which all Americans must abide by. Obamacare is just such a law, passed by due constitutional process.
The constitution also provides for challenging laws that do not fit within the framework of the constitution, by means of the Supreme Court. Obamacare was challenged in the Supreme Court, and by and large, it stood the test. Now it is ready to be implemented fully. The exchanges are open.
The Tea Party made the 2012 election a referendum on Obamacare. In order to get the nomination, Mitt Romney, who is in fact the architect of Obamacare, had to pretend to oppose it, and throughout the campaign, pledged to repeal it if we were elected.
Obama won the 2012 election. Romney and the Tea Party lost. The American people have spoken. They want Obamacare to become a reality.
Since Republicans love the healthcare status quo so much, we will call the existing system “Republicare.”
Republicare has driven thousands of hard-working Americans into medical bankruptcy, including even those who had insurance. More than 45 million Americans have no medical insurance at all. Even with insurance, all of us who are not rich are faced with the terrifying prospect, in the event of a serious illness, of having to choose between death and bankruptcy. Insurance companies deny coverage to those who needed it most, and after collecting premiums from their customers, drop those customers from coverage at the first hint of a serious medical condition, an evil practice known as “rescission”. In Rick Perry’s Texas, insurance premiums have spiked upward by about 25% the past three years in a row. Such are the blessings of Republicare. This is what the Republicans have shut down the government to protect.
The time to prevent Obamacare was from 2000 – 2006, when Republicans controlled the White House and both houses of Congress. Had the Republicans given a hoot about the American people, they would have done something about this. They did not.
Except in Massachusetts, where the Republican governor crafted a bipartisan health insurance scheme later to be dubbed “Romneycare.” It was the signature achievement of Romney’s term as governor, and widely praised by both Republicans and Democrats. Obamacare is almost identical to Romneycare. Only very dedicated policy wonks can tell the difference.
The time to debate the merits of Obamacare was four years ago. The Republicans spent most of that time shouting, and offered no viable alternative. They lost the debate. The law was passed.
So the Tea Party forced the Republican nominee for President to run against himself, and guess what? He lost. Obama won. Now, the Tea Party would defy the express wishes of the people of the United States, to prevent implementation of a health care system they loved, when it was called Romneycare. It is the abyss of childish irresponsibility, and an attempt by a small minority to dictate to the majority.
In shutting down the government, the Tea Party resembles nothing more than a 2-year-old holding his breath, in order to get his way. They are showing an amazing contempt for the constitution. They are also showing contempt for the democratic processes by which this great republic operates. And they are showing contempt for the American people as a whole.
