* Led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, 13 Republican senators, including Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, in a few short weeks cooked up their version behind closed doors in a cynical effort to conceal from their constituents details of policy governing matters of life and death, not to mention a sector that makes up one-sixth of the national economy.
* There can be no comparison to McConnell’s highhanded disregard for basic American values in conducting the people’s business. Democrats hosted many public hearings on the ACA and it was debated for 25 days in the Senate. Republican amendments became part of the bill.
* If GOP senators proceed as planned after their complaints about how the ACA was passed, they will expose themselves as hypocrites — and do a major disservice to the nation.
Erie Times-News: Our view: GOP senators failing public with secrecy
By the Editorial Board
House Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-5th Dist., demurred when questioned about the deeply unpopular and flawed American Health Care Act passed by Thompson and other Republicans in May.
The Congressional Budget Office said the measure — the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act long promised by the GOP — would cut federal Medicaid spending by $800 billion over 10 years, but also cost 23 million people their health insurance by 2026 and result in “extremely high” premiums for the sick and some elderly people. Doctors, hospitals, the American Cancer Society, AARP and others, including many citizens, lined up against it.
“I’ve always said with humility, this is not the be-all, fix-all, ” Thompson said. “This bill … is a good start.”
The Senate, he suggested, would improve it.
The public, Democratic senators and even many Republican senators have no way of knowing whether that’s happening. Led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, 13 Republican senators, including Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, in a few short weeks cooked up their version behind closed doors in a cynical effort to conceal from their constituents details of policy governing matters of life and death, not to mention a sector that makes up one-sixth of the national economy.
All indications as of Wednesday were that the bill is not a fresh start, but closely tracks the one passed by the House.
Republicans plan to unveil the bill Thursday and vote on it within a week, just a couple of days after the CBO analysis of its costs, savings and impact is completed.
What a way to celebrate the Fourth of July, the birthday of the grand American experiment of open government of, by and for the people.
Republicans railed against Democrats’ supposed lack of transparency in passing the ACA. There can be no comparison to McConnell’s highhanded disregard for basic American values in conducting the people’s business. Democrats hosted many public hearings on the ACA and it was debated for 25 days in the Senate. Republican amendments became part of the bill.
Senate Republican leaders plan to use budget rules to limit debate to 20 hours and pass the measure with a vote requiring only a simple majority of 50 “yes” votes, plus a possible tiebreaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence if it’s needed.
It would be best if Republican senators who have expressed reservations about the process would take a principled stand to slow it down so the bill gets the vetting and debate such important legislation requires. Sadly, that seems unlikely.
If GOP senators proceed as planned after their complaints about how the ACA was passed, they will expose themselves as hypocrites — and do a major disservice to the nation.
Read the Erie Times-News’ editorial here.