Saturday, July 15, 2017

Trumpcare Mark Three

The Senate has yet a third version of its infernal health care bill, and Mitch McConnell is determined to get it through the upper congressional chamber even if it kills . . . someone else.  Namely the folks who would lose health insurance.
The new Mark Three health bill would keep some taxes that pay for the Affordable Care Act, and it would offer more money for fighting opioid addiction and allow medical savings accounts to be used to pay for insurance premiums.  However, it would still cut Medicaid spending and also allow insurance companies to offer bare-bones plans that cover practically nothing (Ted Cruz's idea, of course).   
And if McConnell doesn't have enough Republican votes to pass it, he'll twist arms . . . literally.  And maybe he'll put Dean Heller of Nevada in a Bulgarian headlock.
Donald Trump thought the original House bill was mean, so what might he think of this?  No matter, he'll sign it, so long as he has something to sign.  
The Republicans have no interest in fixing the problems with the Affordable Care Act.  They just want to tear the heart out of it and replace it with anything for the sake of replacing it with something.  This is the Senate's third crack at the bat?  Three strikes and you're out.   

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