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Republicans Cave on Health Care Bill

Republicans announced today they are giving up on their health care bill. They don't have the votes.

Another failure for Donald Trump. Another bullet dodged by the American people.

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    Won't be safe until Dems take back (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by ruffian on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 04:03:24 PM EST
    one house of congress in '18. At this point I think it will happen. DJT is the biggest boat anchor ever. Could cause them to lose enough House seats in FL and CA alone.

    i support Medicare for All (none / 0) (#17)
    by linea on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 08:45:43 PM EST
    but now i feel the next step needs to be: (1) keep ACA and employer-cover healthcare but (2) replace the 'market options' with a single medicare buy-in based on a flat percentage of income and (3) lower the soc-sec retirement age and age of eligibility for free medicare.

    another goal that's bery important to me is that all children in this country need to have free health care, free dental care, and free vision care. the status or income of 'rents is irrelevant.

    Parent

    ACA should have had the so-called (5.00 / 3) (#21)
    by ruffian on Wed Sep 27, 2017 at 10:40:08 AM EST
    'public option' all along.

    Parent
    I know (none / 0) (#30)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Sep 28, 2017 at 08:43:06 AM EST
    I could weep for the opportunity lost.

    Parent
    They could have written the legislation (none / 0) (#31)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Sep 28, 2017 at 08:46:45 AM EST
    In a way that if an exchange had less than 3 insurers a public option would then become available. It would have preserved competitive private insurers...or don't compete and the government will take over.

    The insurers are trying to divide up the market again and agree not to compete with each other.

    Parent

    cuz... (none / 0) (#32)
    by linea on Thu Sep 28, 2017 at 10:10:40 PM EST
    in libertarian utopia...

    The insurers are trying to divide up the market again and agree not to compete with each other.

    competing corporations are supposed to battle-it-out by providing ever-more superiour products and lowering prices - rather than providing garbage and dividing territory.

    i hate utopianists.

    Parent

    And, if the Democrats had a clue, (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by NYShooter on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 05:20:49 PM EST
    NOW, would be the time to ram home an honest, consumer friendly, effective, easily understood, REAL health care program.

    If, if, if....

    im pretty sure (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 05:23:33 PM EST
    there was hand wringing two day ago because they were doing exactly that.  too soon.  too radical.  too socialist

    Parent
    who (none / 0) (#9)
    by NYShooter on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 06:36:22 PM EST
    were hand wringing two day ago? The Corporate, Neolib wing of the Party? (I.O.W. the Leadership?)

    Parent
    The entire corporate media (none / 0) (#14)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 07:50:34 PM EST
    Left and right and many democrats had nothing but raspberries for Bernie and the debate along with Amy of this crappy bill on CNN last night.

    Morning Joe basically did a whole show on how crazy it was and how it was going to help republicans pass their crappy law.  

    OMG Bernie is going to wave the bloody shirt of socialism and bring ALL republicans together.

    Didn't happen.  But the point is they were in fact doing exactly what you said they should be doing.  Trying to talk to voters about real solutions.

    Parent

    Didn't happen (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 08:53:32 PM EST
    Bernie handled it beautifully, so did Amy. Bernie falls down though sometimes. It was okay to rib and rub him. It's the same as telling Biden to not talk about brothers and dating, and 7 Elevens.

    Parent
    Pundits (none / 0) (#16)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 08:31:43 PM EST
    must have been about the only ones that watched it then because I'm certainly not seeing much comment on it. A lot of that is probably because of the whole NFL nonsense.

    Parent
    "If, if, if"? (5.00 / 2) (#29)
    by Yman on Thu Sep 28, 2017 at 08:06:48 AM EST
    And, if the Democrats had a clue,
    NOW, would be the time to ram home an honest, consumer friendly, effective, easily understood, REAL health care program.

    You're familiar with the legislative process, right?  Because I'd love to know how those "clueless" Democrats would magically "ram home" ANY healthcare bill at this time, given that Republicans control the House, the Senate AND the White House.  Does it involve pixie dust and a unicorn?

    Parent

    Make the sons of b&tches... (none / 0) (#33)
    by kdog on Fri Sep 29, 2017 at 10:38:22 AM EST
    keep it from a vote, or vote against it on the floor.  Go on the news shows and to the papers and to social media everyday asking why Republicans will not repeal and replace Obamacare with an improved plan that includes vision and dental that will cover more Americans, and provide more care, in a more cost effective manner.

    Parent
    How many Republicans (none / 0) (#12)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 07:45:14 PM EST
    are going to vote for that plan in order to pass it? My fear is some are over promising which is going to put us in the same position as the GOP.

    Parent
    a lesser person (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 04:13:24 PM EST
    would say i told ya so.

    but i would never do that

    Since you won't, (none / 0) (#3)
    by KeysDan on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 04:22:22 PM EST
    I will.  You nailed it. I've never been so glad to be wrong.  This roller coaster ride is unconscionable for so many affected Americans.

    Parent
    Honestly (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 04:41:19 PM EST
    The whole wretched thing was totally inexplicable.

    McCain had drawn a line in the sand.  Did Lindsey think he could pull him over?  really?

    It seems impossible because I didn't think he could ever do that and he is supposed to be his friend.

    The two women were no's.  We're never going to be any thing else.

    The whole thing really made absolutely no sense. It's the kind of thing where you assume there had to be something else going on.

    Is it even possible congressional republicans are so spineless,  so gutless and craven they would actually go through this whole humiliating sideshow JUST to "look like they were doing something" to Donald?

    It would seem so.  Pity them.  They are lost.

    Parent

    Not to Donald - to their big donors (none / 0) (#5)
    by ruffian on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 05:06:11 PM EST
    who are going to stop writing checks if they can't get things done. They are in dread fear of 2018, and they should be. They hitched their wagon to a guy who does not help them one iota, and hurts them plenty.

    Parent
    they absolutely should be (none / 0) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 05:09:03 PM EST
    my question is how on earth did this totally humiliating clusterf@ck help?

    no really, if you were a donor would YOU feel better than you did 2 week ago?

    Parent

    If I were (none / 0) (#13)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 07:46:58 PM EST
    a big donor I would tell them to move on but then I'm not that selfish and greedy about wanting my tax cuts.

    Parent
    Want another prediction? (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 07:53:25 PM EST
    They won't get tax cuts either.  

    They think healthcare is hard?  Just wait until they tell people that are going to take away their mortgage and charitable deductions to give massive tax cuts to the super rich.

    Parent

    I wonder... (none / 0) (#19)
    by Repack Rider on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 10:06:35 PM EST
    McCain had drawn a line in the sand.

    I wonder whether staring mortality in the face has pushed McCain into "no fks left to give" territory.

    Parent

    I believe the two (none / 0) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 27, 2017 at 07:07:59 AM EST
    Things are more than likely related.  As well as him looking at "legacy".

    Parent
    I'm glad (none / 0) (#10)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 07:12:52 PM EST
    you were right is all I have to say. Now can you predict if they are going to continue to try to do this again and again?

    Parent
    Let consult (none / 0) (#11)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 26, 2017 at 07:43:11 PM EST
    The magic 8 ball....

    No
    I got nothin

    Parent

    Tr*mp's tax plan has me and my wife (none / 0) (#22)
    by Peter G on Wed Sep 27, 2017 at 03:22:14 PM EST
    squarely in its cross-hairs. Tax cuts for the super-rich and possibly for the lower middle class, with big tax increases for the upper middle class. Am I cynical to think this targets the social class he identifies as the liberal Democratic base, while benefiting his own perceived bases?

    Peter, are the various income tax brackets (none / 0) (#23)
    by vml68 on Wed Sep 27, 2017 at 03:48:05 PM EST
    listed somewhere. I can't find any info on it.

    with big tax increases for the upper middle class

    Is this based on the proposed elimination of state and local taxes as a deduction? These made a huge difference in our taxes when we were paying taxes to NY and NJ.

    Parent
    My comment was based on the proposed (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by Peter G on Wed Sep 27, 2017 at 04:00:34 PM EST
    elimination of the SALT deduction (state and local taxes) and the 401K exclusion both. This looks like a promising landing spot for info.

    Parent
    What the so-called plan does: (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by Anne on Wed Sep 27, 2017 at 04:02:17 PM EST
    According to Robert Reich's FB page:

    1. Lower the corporate rate from 35 to 20 percent. This makes absolutely no sense. Today's effective corporate tax rate (what they actually pay after deductions and credits) is almost the same as our major trading partners. Plus, American corporations are already so flush with cash they don't know what to do with it except buy back their current shares.

    1. Reduce the tax rate for so-called pass-through businesses - including hedge-fund, private-equity, and real estate partnerships like Trump's and Jared Kushner's -- to 25 percent. This means that instead of paying the top rate of 39.6 percent, these mavens will pay 25 percent. It's a giant loophole for the super super-wealthy.

    2. Lower the top tax rate for every other rich person from 39.6 percent to 35 percent. This is absurd. America's rich have gained the vast bulk of all the economic gains for the past decade. They're richer than ever.

    3. Raise the bottom tax rate from 10 to 12 percent. Really dumb. Aren't the poor already poor enough? True, the plan doubles the standard deduction and expands the child tax credit, which will offset much of that increase, but why increase taxes on the poor at all?

    Oh, and how much will all this cost? They don't say, but studies of similar plans produced by Trump and House Republicans have been projected to cost $3 trillion to $7 trillion over a decade.

    Where will this money come from? Either (1) cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, which are the only big pots of money in the federal budget, apart from defense spending - which Republicans want to increase, or (2) an exploding national budget deficit.

    Kevin Drum has more:

       1. The personal exemption for dependents is eliminated and the standard deduction is doubled.

        2. Seven brackets are decreased to three. The bottom bracket goes up and the top bracket goes down.
        3. The framework proposes using a new measure of inflation--presumably chained CPI, though it doesn't say so. If that's what it is, it would make bracket creep worse and would steadily raise taxes on the middle class. It might also be a Trojan Horse, providing an excuse to apply it to Social Security as well, which would reduce the growth of Social Security payments. This one is a sleeper. Keep an eye out for what it turns out to be.
        4. The child tax credit is increased and it phases out more slowly. There's a small new tax credit for non-child dependents.

        5. The estate tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax are eliminated, to the delight of millionaires everywhere.

        6. Itemized deductions are eliminated except for all the ones that matter: mortgage interest, charitable giving, the EITC, retirement accounts, and education accounts. Off the top of my head, I think these account for about 70 percent or more of all itemized deductions.

    Oh, and it was a 2-page plan.  Two pages.  Seems a little short on details.

    One more: it's not a "plan," it's a "unified framework.


    Parent

    Re: Are the income tax brackets listed? (none / 0) (#27)
    by linea on Wed Sep 27, 2017 at 08:28:57 PM EST
    Trump plan tax brackets:
    • What Trump's plan says: "The framework shrinks the current seven tax brackets into three - 12%, 25% and 35% - with the potential for an additional top rate for the highest-income taxpayers to ensure that the wealthy do not contribute a lower share of taxes paid than they do today."
    • What that means: There are currently seven tax brackets, and this changes it to three. Trump did not reveal the cutoffs for the brackets, but some people in the current lowest bracket, which is 10 percent, could actually see a two-percent tax hike. And the highest earners, people who make more than $418,400 a year, will have their taxes cut from 39.6 percent to 35 percent. That could save a $500,000-a-year executive $23,000.



    Parent
    not cynical (none / 0) (#26)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 27, 2017 at 04:47:01 PM EST
    Yep. Now comes the test (none / 0) (#28)
    by Yman on Thu Sep 28, 2017 at 07:58:27 AM EST
    Will Republican Reps from blue states have the courage to stand up for their constituents, or will they cave to the pressure to fall in line and/or to finally pass something.

    Parent