In the space of 2 short days, Barr has shown how dictatorships are born as the rule of law is dismantled. So long as McConnell controls the Senate, there is no hope that Congress will control an administration determined to ignore the Constitution. The attack on healthcare shows the true goal of the Trump party: we won't pay taxes and you are on your own. #WPE worst president ever #PP Putin's puppet #MCAE most corrupt administration ever #LTU lock Trump up
30
Maybe we should label the Republicans as authors of the Shut Up and Die Quickly health care plan. Or maybe it should be called TLC as in Tough Luck Chump. Hey you're not rich, it's your fault, so die. My God how insensitive are people? How stupid?
24
As long as we have a for-profit system (thanks Nixon- it WAS NOT that way peior to the 70s), we will never be able to afford it- no matter who is footting the bill- govt., consumers, employers- whoever. And noce of the poilticiaons will tell you that BC they are funded by pharma and ins companies. We're hosed.
14
Consumers of health care have no leverage in the market place, and in a capitalistic society consumers having leverage is as in important as people seing a a public need, creating and delivering a product to fit that need and reaping the prifits of their efforts.
When you buy home or auto insurance you understand your risk for the various possible situations and can shop for the best coverage. Not with medical insurance.
Consumers do not have the knowledge to understand the issues or the ability to asses their risk and even if they did consumers do not have access to information needed to make an informed decision.
Congress and especially Republicans since 1980 are responsible for preventing access to costs and in that period healthcare cost rose from 6% of GDP to todays’s 19% of GDP while campaign donations have also rapidly risen to encourage congress to maintain limited access to the kinds of information a consumer needs while restricting Medicare’s ability to negotiate in the interest of the consumer.
Knowing how many doctor visits a year you get, what it costs for a hospital stay, an ER visitor or a CAT scan is not knowing what you get if you present cancer, or even present basic back pain or abdominal pain most do not know what are their chances of needing catostrophic care.
A regulated single payer system based on a national standard set of professional medical guidelines (which is also lacking) could be private like a utility.
10
Trump is all bluster... zero substance. Let's say the courts invalidate the ACA, what's Trump's mechanism for improving a lagging American health care system? Let's say the court preserves the ACA, how will Trump contribute to improving the health care system going forward with the ACA in place? My guess is that if ACA stands, Trump washes his hands of the whole thing... *crickets*
6
Turns out that the "deplorables" who through limited information, emotional self-destructiveness, and rabid racism are, contrary to Hilary Clinton's elite-biased comments, are not the most dangerous members of the Trump tribe. William Barr, like academic luminaries Victor Davis Hanson and Alan Dershowicz, have also drunk the same Kool-Aid and are furthering the career of a mentally-unbalanced ignoramus who, in terms of manner, intelligence, and accomplishments, their complete opposite. Bewildering in the extreme!
Barr's complicity in the planned, systemic destruction of our social order is terrible, terrible news. And probably a harbinger of even worse to come.
11
I have finally decided to stop reading news and opinion reports.
I can follow the full synopsis of today’s reports about Trump, Barr, Rosenstein, Senators McConnell and Graham and Cluster Fox “News” by simply reading “ The Rise and Fall of the ThirdReich”.
13
I’ve followed Prof. Bagley’s writings for several years. He’s the epitome of scholarship and always displays keen insight and thoughtfulness. So, it’s quite likely very “low-brow” (as I no doubt am) and beneath him to make the candid observation that these ultra right wing “neo con” strict textualists will engage in the most convoluted backward to sideways contortions (like a yoga master) in the puerile pursuit of their ends, using so called “originalism” as their means. As Prof. Bagley observes: They will deride and debase all normative standards in their evocation of their end goal of social Darwinism couched in the hollow lie of “freedom.” The so called “freedom” to die poor and without the ability to pay for essential medical care.
7
Isn´t Justice for ALL socialism ?
Isn´t cooperation socialism ?
Isn´t a team in any sport socialism ?
Isn´t getting along with people in general socialism ?
Such an ignorant country does´t know what socialism is.
10
This is Mulvaney. Old Tea Party Obstructionists Never Die. He needs to be out of government and this challenge to the ACA needs to be withdrawn immediately. Its the law of the land, duly passed by congress impacting the lives of millions of people and should not undermined in this underhanded way.
11
Trump is trying to change the narrative away from the Mueller report so he drops this bomb.... Democrats get that report
8
And where were you, Nick, when the Hillary Brand® dissed and denied and denigrated and decided against "universal healthcare"?
Oh, right. That was then, and this is now! Oooohhhhhh.
Too expensive. Too complicated. Too much of giving the people something that their tax-paying dollars could actually have provided for…
But, right. That was then…
2
Are we not yet fed up with Tump and his cabal's ridiculous bombastic statements and destructive policies?
Do we have to listen to the nonsense and idiocy that they churn to on a daily basis?
I'm shocked that there are people in this country that actually think that this man makes sense.
Racial division, financial shenanigans, boldface lies about Russian contacts, healthcare evisceration, and on and on and on.
He is fleecing many of his supporters and they don't even realize it or are willing to let him dump on someone else as long as it is not themselves.
We can stop this, and none too soon.
5
This reminds me of the old joke that ends "But we'll both die! And the scorpion replied 'I must remain true to my nature.'"
6
Many years have passed since the ACA went into effect and the Republicans have whinged about it and want it abolished and promised a replacement and now they want to abolish it again and they still have no plan or replacement for the 20 million people who would have no health insurance.
The evil and cruelty of the GOP has no bounds.
9
The driving motivation in Trump's limited mindset is to do whatever he can to undo anything that Obama accomplished, no matter how many people get harmed in the process. I hope the courts resoundingly reject this latest, mindless attempt to satisfy his vindictive impulses.
6
When our institutions have been fully gutted and ghosted, we'll find ourselves on a path to Venezuela. If the ACA is destroyed, the economy will collapse and chaos will reign. It's possible Canada will need to build a wall, since ailing, impoverished Americans will be looking afar, hoping to find a doctor they can afford. Don't forget, 40% of Americans can't afford an unexpected expense of $400. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/22/fed-survey-40-percent-of-adults-cant-cover-400-emergency-expense.html
Most middle class Americans never recovered from the Great Recession, so it won't take much to push them into poverty. How can Trump's evangelical base support such a heartless, immoral man?
5
Why didn't people realize there was a difference between HRC and Trump?
9
Republicans do not hate heath care - as long as there's money to be made in it. what they hate is people who aren't rich.
8
Let's face it -- "Trump" hates people, loves inanimate things like a piece of paper (the dollar) that he can talk about with people whose favor he wants to curry. Let me define my term, "Trump" ... oh, I just did ... describing many, not just one.
3
I love Bagley's work, but in this case, it is too strident for me. For one, while the judge in Texas seems off-base, he did follow a line of legal argument that had some amount of logic to it.
Second, liberals didn't care when the Obama administration flagged in vigorously trying to protect the legally enacted Defense of Marriage Act that blocked gays from federal marriage rights. US v Windsor 2013. The weak defense of that law is conspicuously absent from today's article. Space limitations?
Similarly, under Obama, HHS refused to defend, even with one word, a legally enacted Medicare policy against paying for transsexual surgery: Obama's HHS simply folded its hands and let the case against the decision proceed, although HHS did absolutely nothing to proactively remove it either. Examples multiply.
1
Recall that Trump's ill nephew, the son of his alcoholic brother Freddy who died in 1981, had his medical treatment cut off when Trump cut his brother's children out of his father's will. Fred Trump Sr. died in 1999 and Trump's sister-in-law had a baby with cerebral palsy for whom Trump promised to pay medical bills. But when Fred Sr's will was read, most of his inheritance was split between his children except for Freddy. Freddy's children sued and alleged that Trump- who helped draft the will- had influenced their father who had dementia. Trump later admitted that reneging on his original promise to pay his nephew's medical bills was out of anger at his brother.
This is the man who now wants to take away health care from well over 20 million Americans. His cruelty and vengeance know no bounds, especially when it comes to revenge against President Obama.
17
Everyone is missing the two key issues here. First, the drama queen in the Oval office desperately needs to stay the center focus of attention 24/7....Good or bad attention does not matter....He must be the headline EVERY DAY. The junkie needs his daily "fix" with the media he claims to loathe.
Next, the one thing that sustains him is revenge on his perceived "enemies" and John McCain and President Obama top his list. He cares very little, if at all, about the impact on those who need the ACA; those with diabetes, COPD, heart problems, cancer who will lose coverage. It is all about getting "even" with that man who joked about him at that Press Club event. He spent most of last week insulting a dead war hero, so you think he cares about sick children or cancer patients?
He may be a large man, but he truly is an empty suit and a truly empty soul.....
Continue to be revolted by normalizing this abuser of decency and honor. We have crossed some basic lines in allowing him to continue pillaging our self worth.
12
What ever happened to the old-fashioned sit-in? Or die-in? Debating the numbers is too dry. Everyone dependant on ACA should wheel, walk, or struggle to get to their representatives offices and just stay. Folks in wheelchairs, crying babies that need treatment, folks with oxygen tanks, bed sores and everything in between. Show them what would really happen to peoples' lives and conditions.
9
We are going to have great healthcare, everyone is covered, much better coverage at lower cost. A Trump pledge not kept. There is no plan ten years of carping about Obamacare, repeal without replacement votes and nonsense. Barr flubbed his two chances at demonstrating independence and legal acumen.
2020 represents the real future.
15
So Trump et al have pulled out all the stops. This speaks to his and the GOP's confidence it has all the cards in hand. They must have some millions from the deep pocket guys in hand.
It's all up to you, now, America. Will you go to the polls en masse come voting time, or put your feet up on the coach and zone out?
We can do it. But it will take everyone of us to beat back the deep pocketed big bucks.
It can be done. More to the point, it will HAVE to be done if we are to be the America we all love.
25
The focus-again-is on the wrong objective. We waste innumerable thoughts and energy on "health care" when we should care about health-our health and those we cherish.
It is absolutely mind boggling how our (U.S. overall) diet is so poor and our exercise so minimal. Obesity, diabetes, heart failures, "bad knees" (from obesity?), head aches and digestive corruptions should not be considered typical, nor should the prevalence of easy over the counter remedies and an alphabet soup of prescription drugs.
2
No the focus is on the correct issue. Every single human is going to get sick or be injured at some point in their lives and need medical attention. It's nonsense to think that all health problems are the result of poor diet and lack of exercise.
26
This is "Good Government" brought to all of us by the (so-called) Freedom Caucus. Nothing more, nothing less.
Is it even plausible to think that Trump understands any of the implications?
9
Trump has now learned that the rule of checks and balances no longer applies to him. He has learned that he can scream "executive power" any time he chooses without any ramification. Trump is dismantling our democracy piece by piece and he now realizes that no one can or will stop him. He can do as he chooses because he promises power and exoneration to those who choose to align themselves with him. He has realized that there is no one in his administration that can't be controlled by the promise of power and money. I used to love America but now? I don't even recognize it.
24
Today our most renowned French newspaper "Le Monde" published an article describing medicine for the poor worthy of the Third World that is taking place today in the USA.
"In early March in Harrisonburg, Virginia, 601 patients were treated by a volunteer medical association (Remote area medical). These patients, who have basic insurance, do not have enough to purchase a supplement for their eyesight and teeth."
Source : Le Monde - John, Sandra, Brian, ces Américains naufragés du système de santé
https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2019/03/27/john-sandra-brian-ces-americains-naufrages-du-systeme-de-sante_5441736_3210.html
What a shame and sadness for a country as rich as the United States!
Signed: a dismayed Frenchwoman :'(
31
@Karine - Just down the street from me, in an upper middle class neighborhood, there's a dental clinic that periodically offers free dental care for the poor. They set up a giant tent on their lawn and have a dozen or more volunteer dentists available. I'll never forget the time it snowed 4" the night before, yet there were people lined up at 6 am or earlier, standing in the snow, in order to have a chance to see a dentist. And all day people kept coming and lining up in the snow, just for the dental care they hadn't been able to afford for years.
18
@Medwright yes it's exactly the type of situation described in Le Monde's article
People arrived the day before the free dental care day
Dentists explained they had to extract as far as 8 teeth for each mouth and are allowed to prescribe only paracetamol (because of opioid outbreak). And they wonder how people can have normal work and relationship without EIGHT teeth !!
One third of the 601 patients work and most of them support Trump (amazing!)
As a French woman raised in a country where healthcare is free or afordable I'm stunned by what is considered as normal in USA!
How is it so difficult for your country to consider a unic state-managed healthcare funded by everybody and helping everybody? Because each one of us will need healthcare at least during our old days
It seems such an obvious and win-win solution that understanding US's brakes on change is beyond me..
13
@Karine
Dear Karine,
We know Harrisonburg well, as we own some property about 30 minutes north of the city although we are residents of Arlington, closer in to DC. Yes, it is indeed a shame and such sadness for a country as rich as ours. We are beyond dismayed by what is happening here. We have a minority that is in charge because of our broken electoral system. Please know that we and millions of Americans feel the same way as you and are doing everything we can to right this terrible wrong and get new leadership. We are not yet giving up.
9
Why do Republicans hate the ACA? It's because they think of the major portions as means tested. People below a certain financial situation get help that is supplied by people above that financial line. Republicans hate that as a matter of their political philosophy. Of course, they conveniently ignore the other aspects of the ACA; keeping Jr on your plan until he is 26, not allowing insurance companies to charge higher rates to sick people, forcing insurance cos to use community based costs, and many more that are not means tested.
There is one way to solve this political problem: make a plan that is not means tested, similar to Social Security and Medicare. You get it whether you want it or not. There are a number of ways to do that, and it will eventually happen, that's for sure. And, like Medicare, you could also have private insurance if you want it and can afford it. Maybe that's what Mulvaney has in mind to make Republicans the "Health Care Party." Don't hold your breath.
7
We need Medicare for All, not more of the same. Profit making insurers are still acting like border guards between you and your doctor. They take our premiums and then squeeze doctors to provide fewer and less costly services, so they can pocket the difference. What role did insurance companies have in the opioid crisis? Cheaper for the insurers if doctors prescribe OxyContin for your pain then to it is to pay for x-rays and surgery, isn’t it? If we allow insurance and pharmaceutical companies to dictate prices and services, we will never have decent affordable health care.
4
So end Obamacare because his base expects it? Does this president realize that his base, who he threatens will take to he streets to defend him, if he loses the next election, are some the people who need Obamacare the most?
15
He could careless.
2
My level of anxiety has reached an insane fever pitch!! I understand why people are choosing suicide over life when the very essence of existence is being drown in a bitter, black swamp of hate and hopelessness. So much winning...
Where are the voices of reason?? Where is there a message of hope? Is there anyone working together?
21
There is infinite hope, but not for man.
I suppose this is all imagined & directed by Putin...how to destroy the USA from the inside out, how to create chaos and infighting, economic disaster...while Putin sits in Moscow laughing away and savoring every delicious moment of our pain and suffering.
10
"Attorney General William Barr was supposed to be a voice of reason in the Trump administration. An old Washington hand, he had the stature and the backbone to protect the Justice Department from a White House that often seems to disdain the rule of law."
Really? With due repect professor, your bar (pun intended) is very low for the position of US Attorney General. This is the man who prepared his "resume" for the position of AG by forwarding an unsolicited letter to the Justice Department stating a president cannot obstruct justice. This voice doesn't sound like one "of reason" to me.
24
At this point how can Trump possibly alarm anyone?
2
Moving the decision to Kavanaugh and friends will kill the law, then many poor will be killed, and the Republicans will rejoice.
8
REPUBLICANS; When in doubt cheat, lie, obfuscate.
15
Holder and Obama were no different.
3
@Alice's Restaurant
In what way(s)? Too many spout and shout, but offer no evidence.
I don't remember Holder trying to do harm to the US citizenry the way this action does.
15
@Kenneth Brady
Seems the afternoon crew is a bit behind the power curve--once again:
His very presence was enough--true with Obama. They left us with the likes of Strzok, Page, Lynch, and brought us Rice and her FISA nightmare. Glad they are both gone.
1
@Kenneth Brady
His very presence was enough--true with Obama. They left us with the likes of Strzok, Page, Lynch, and brought us Rice and her FISA nightmare. Glad they are both gone.
We need new words.
despicable
deplorable
contemptible
loathsome
hateful
detestable
reprehensible
abhorrent
abominable
awful
heinous
etc., just don't capture the reality of what Trump and his Party have done, do today and want to do to us tomorrow.
Maybe "evil" says it.
36
Well, I think Uncle Donald just found a way to pay for his "National Emergency Fence" ... there will be posters, statues and photos of Uncle Donald on every street corner, in every room of every public building and Washington, DC will be renamed to The Donald City. Every grade school student will have to learn the 10 commandments of Donaldism, starting with "1. Spite everything Obama".
Uncle Ho Chi Minh is smiling in his grave ...
10
Welcome to the Trump Death Panels.
20
The GOP were shot in the head last November trying to take away our Healthcare, the blowback and repercussions will be their extinction from here on out! Trump and the GOP are clearly showing all their cards, and a deuce, nine, and a seven won’t cut the Democrats three Aces! They’re playing with our lives, and when you do that, expect a mascare in the 2020 Election!
15
Barr is a corrupt criminal and disgrace to Horace Mann.
13
Rule of law? That's a good one...how about lets jam this Obamacare bill through while we have the White House, Senate & House, don't worry about actually reading it, just jam it through while we are in power. You can keep your insurance if you want to? Remember that one? If there is anything criminal here, it's the way the Dems jammed Obamacare through the legislature...
ummm what? Yes when a party controls all three branches of gov they are allowed to pass laws. Thats the definition of rule of law
9
@Joe
".how about lets jam this Obamacare bill through while we have the White House, Senate & House, don't worry about actually reading it, just jam it through while we are in power."
That's exactly how the tax reform was passed and how Kavanaugh got his seat.
8
@D tax reform was technically much worse than obamacare the way it was passed since it was through reconciliation and did not hit 60 votes
7
And here begins the unbridled dictatorship of Donald J Trump, lunatic-at-large.
18
The ACA was renamed "Obamacare" by the Republican Party. Why? Because a majority of Republicans are racists, though all of them would hotly deny it. But by a recent Pew survey, a majority of Republicans are still Birthers who question Obama's nationality. Their overwhelming dislike of Obama is another clue. Even conservative political scientists, when polled, ranked Obama #22 among presidents. A C+. Rank and file Republicans give him an F-, however. The difference is due to conservative political scientists not being racists.
Given this, when you say "Obamacare" a racist hears "Negrocare" meaning he believes it's a plot to steal money from white folks like him and give it to lazy, no-account black folks.
Most Democrats are completely oblivious to how the ACA became "Obamacare" and what the name change means to a majority of Republicans. Even though polls clearly show that most Republicans like "the ACA" and hate "Obamacare," especially when you ask them about its key provisions.
27
@Ehkzu
This. They cannot get over that Obama was black. It’s disguised as political differences, but it’s this - BLACK -
2
The problem is that the ACA was just Romneycare, with all its defects. That's all OBama could get passed, and it has huge flaws. What we need is Medicare for EVERYONE, with Medicare having the right to negotiate directly with drug companies for drug prices. My wife and I are lucky. We have Medicare and an outstanding secondary insurer. While our health care costs are still large, we'd have long agp been bankrupt or dead without those programs, as we have a dizzying array of health problems.
The stark reality is that cutting back on medical assistance to the elderly, disabled, impoverished, and those with preexisting conditions is legalized euthanasia. Ironic to say the least, as most of those pushing that agenda weep crocodile tears at abortions, when they would "murder" far more people if their ideas become law. Just not fertilized sperm or fetuses. And I don't favor abortion, by the way. At the same time, I recognize that having that view, I am responsible for the care of babies born because their mothers could not get an abortion. The far right, in particular the hypocritical Evangelicals, do not.
The good news is that health care affects all of us, and helped the Democrats win the 2018 elections. If the GOP wants a repeat, just cut health care some more. A prudent Democratic Presidential candidate will hammer on that, not a Green New Deal or varioius other pet far left causes that will just alienate undecided voters.
11
Who’s going to take a pay cut to make healthcare more affordable? Physicians? Surgeons? Nurses? Aides? Therapists? Technicians? Pharmacists? Pharmaceuticals’ makers? Medical device makers? Insurers? Hospitals? Clinics? (Feel free to add anyone else in the supply chain.) Not in America, they won’t.
Everyone knows what they don’t like about the system; that’s easy. We need specifics from both parties about what they want to do. No more false promises.
1
I have an idea. Let’s create chaos in an industry that constitutes about 18% of GDP. Good plan GOP!
13
I have a great idea. instead of asking health care professionals to take a pay cut to make health care affordable, let's look at how we can make military and national security more affordable. Cut our bloated, inefficient defense budget to the core, stop building tanks and planes that will never be used, cut the profits of defense contractors and use the savings to pay for everyone to have health care. A healthy citizenry is more important to national well being than the wealth of the military industrial complex.
21
@Susan
Cutting the defense budget would be great. As it turns out the War Dept can't even pass a budget audit! How can we the people keep paying for something that's literally a bottomless pit?!? I do hope that putting a stop to this wasteful spending by our War Dept is a top priority for Dems.
Time to give peace a chance.
2
William Barr has once again in the space of a few days politicized the Justice Department as never before. The Justice Department is not supposed be a political arm of the President or his campaign used to serve “his base.” Congress has the constitutional power of legislation and an independent Justice Department is to defend duly enacted laws where possible.
As for Trump’s promise that the Republican Party will become the champion of health care, they had 8 years during the Obama Administration to come up with something better and have had two years under Trump to unveil their grand plan for affordable health care for all Americans. Why have we heard only crickets and grandiose generalities, and NO plan, from that side of Congress and this President? 2020 can’t come soon enough.
21
The plain term for this scenario is, "rigging the deck," and who better to do this than the one and only man whose casinos have been sited as cheating its patrons. Our constitution and judicial system are not a game, however, the level of gaming that we are witnessing in this situation are astonishing and terribly transparent. A crime of consciousness or lack thereof is occurring in this nation today. Will this one president succeed where no man or state has succeeded in over 150 years in tearing this nation and democracy asunder?
14
Trump philosophy: shoot now, aim...never.
8
I cannot wait -- and recent history suggests it won't be long -- before Trump turns on William Barr and excoriates him for ... something. Trump will overreach -- investigate the investigators (that Trump's administration appointed), the media, Hillary, Mueller, whomever -- and Barr, seeing his future completely debased, will either refuse, resign or consign himself to the Jeff Sessions Treatment.
It's coming, as surely as the sun rises every day.
11
William Barr is enjoying his new power: full exoneration of his beloved leader and now this. The GOP is building up for authoritarian rule. It's the only way they can maintain control and most of us know it. Look for more troubles ahead as Trump, McConnell, Graham, and company do everything they can to totally control our government. Grotesque Old Party is relentless.
10
And for the millions who still chant "Lock her up!" and think wee donnie's the real MAGA deal, who are they?
This horrid, corrupt, dangerous administration has no concern for anything apart from the immediate lining of pockets—I mean who in their right mind would advocate for stripping health care from the ill?—and yet his support in Congress remains strong and his base fervent.
What are they thinking? What sort of future are they leaving to their children and grandchildren? Do they even care?
I can't see how the nation recovers from such willful hate.
19
What will it take to stop Donald the Menace? Every psychiatrist
in the country knows this man is crazy. The Goldwater Rule
prevents them from proactively pursuing his need for therapy.
I want his medical records made public and his taxes. There is not doubt he is concealing both because the information will impact on his ability to lead. His racism is so severe that he hopes to prevent people of color from getting medical care and they will die. This monster must be stopped. His Republican supporters know he is a fraud and they stand by
while he destroys the very fabric of America. The Founding Fathers never envisioned that such an evil person would wield so much power.
12
I agree with all you said, except the part about “people of color will die.” There are plenty of white people with terminal illnesses being kept alive by continuing medically necessary treatment. Terminal illness doesn’t discriminate. It’s not that he’s only a racist. He’s a bigot. He’s going to make necessary treatments unavailable to all but those in his tax bracket. He’s against anyone that HE thinks is beneath him. Both supporters and non-supporters.
5
The only chance for a long term healthcare solution is for Congress to come up with a bi- partisan plan. Obamacare was not the answer and ending it is the first step to a better future.
1
Foolish. ACA is bi-partisan. It was modeled after Romney’s (R) Massachusetts health care plan.
Fix it.
14
@Chris - First of all, the ACA was modeled on the rightwing Heritage Foundation's plan, which was adopted and implemented by Mitt Romney in MA. Secondly, Democrats compromised over and over again with Republicans, hoping to get some of them on board. When it came time to vote on the bill, 161 Republican amendments were allowed to become part of it. What kept it from being bipartisan was Mitch McConnell's vow the day of Obama's inauguration to make Obama a one-term president - which meant never, ever giving Democrats a single Republican vote on anything.
3
What is alarming to Democrats is that President Trump's healthcare plan is better than Obamacare and may succeed. It will also save money for those who enroll in this insurance. The cost will be lower and the care higher in quality. They are afraid he will actually pass a campaign promise.
20
And what is the plan? Why hasn’t he shared it, if it’s too good to be true?
233
And there's the rub - there IS no plan.
221
@Claudia
Because it IS too good to be true. Which means it isn't true......
180
Nobody benefitted more from the ACA than "red" southern states (I recall that the federal website crashed almost immediately when it was launched due to high traffic). They've (unwittingly I think) voted against their interests and will pay the price...in more ways than one.
9
The Republicans who have tried to destroy healthcare reform and Trump are a catastrophic illness.
The cure: Run them out on a rail.
By the way, if Trump loses the 2020 election, the statute of limitations does not expire on an indictment similar to the one Michael Cohen received or breaking laws on his client's behalf.
11
I have an honest inquiry: would your reporters please study and report on just how well the prohibition on denying coverage for preexisting conditions has actually worked? Just find people to interview on the subject, being sure to include parents of babies born with problems and women diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks.
8
Obama refused to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. Now, Obama's position was ultimately upheld by the courts, while Trump's likely won't be. But is there a principled way to decide which refusals-to-defend are ok?
It has always been my understanding that most Republicans support ACA and oppose Obamacare.
8
But most Americans who are not Republicans support Obamacare, and there are more of us.
Ask a Republican who has college age children if she wants to lose her kids’ coverage. Ask a Republican who has diabetes, or any number of other pre-existing conditions.
6
So what if the Justice Department does not enforce federal laws prohibiting possession or distribution of marijuana? Is the executive branch now "legislating" and does this create a separation of powers issue?
Every administration picks which laws it will enforce or defend, or the degree to which it will enforce or defend them. There is nothing new here, professor.
That said, I wholeheartedly agree that the DOJ is relying upon a legally dubious basis in seeking invalidation of the ACA. This is basically retribution by Trump against all his "evil enemies" who launched the Muller investigation.
3
it would be so much simpler just to pass a bill that changes the name of the ACA to "The Best and Cheapest Healthcare System in the World, According to Donald J. Trump", and be done with it.
The rubes in the RED states would be happy that Delusional Donnie "got the job done." (Those of us in the BLUE states would have a good belly laugh.)
How could Delusional Donnie not sign THAT bill?
13
The facts are that if Trump and his GOP cohort kill the Affordable Care Act, 22 million Americans will lose their health insurance (and, with it, their health care); and many of those 22 million will get needlessly get sick, and some of those 22 million will needlessly die.
Isn't a pity that most of those potential victims are Trump supporters?
10
@camorrista - There are 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. If they lose their current health insurance, many of them will be uninsurable, or will be unable to find insurance they can afford. People would no longer be able to keep their young people on their insurance to age 26.
Seniors and the disabled on Medicare will no longer get preventive screenings without co-pay, and the Medicare Part D donut hole will open up again, leaving the sickest among us having to pay for their medications out of pocket or do without. And the millions of Americans on expanded Medicaid will suddenly be uninsured again. That's just a small list of the benefits that will go away if Republicans have their way. And they think this is a winning strategy?
4
Imagine the huge cost we are paying for all these investigations and challenges to any affordable basic medical care initiative.
Many tens and maybe hundreds of millions of our taxpayer funds have been spent trying to prevent Affordable healthcare Simplified Medicare for all. We are paying for their campaign to take something major away from us.
The rich got a lovely trillion dollar break and Trump supporters don't get they've been shafted.
6
The Democratic Republic of which generations of Americans spilled their blood to defend has been destroyed from within. We are no longer a democracy but a plutocracy. God save us all.
12
Lies. Death. Misery. Corruption.
This is what the modern GOP stands for. And this it what it will be bringing to YOU as long as they remain in power.
I only hope that those that support and abet them will have theses things visited upon them a thousand fold.
12
Where was this writer and all of the horrified commentators when the Obama administration refused to defend DOMA (which I personally detested and which significantly disadvantaged me). I don't remember one liberal voice crying out that such an action was "a threat to the rule of law". Nothing but rank hypocrisy.
I’ve noticed several people bringing this up. How do other’s people’s marriages affect you?
8
The vile and disrespectful comments Trump aimed at McCain and unfortunately continues after he is deceased, is in itself a form of intimidation to current Senate members. This is a classic Republican billionaire* tactic. Benefits are for the ruling class. If you disagree I will forever disparage your name.
Classless, but effective. Especially if you have the bully pulpit.
5
Have we forgotten how Obama had to negotiate with the big insurance companies to come up with the ACA? You would get a better health care plan negotiating with Satan. The insurance companies are the problem and we can eliminate them with a nonprofit Medicare For All system.
12
Smoking is good for you, Mexico will pay for the Wall, and the Republican Party will become "the party of health care".
13
You actually mean republicans, the party of NO healthcare. They’ll write a bill that only the 1% will benefit by.
1
"If you give a mouse a cookie..."
3
Erase Obamacare? Ok, fine.
Just tell us what you're planning to do that will be better.
Still waiting.....
8
Trump and Bannon (he's still in the Trumpian loop) actively WANT chaos. It's their plan. They believe social, economic, political chaos favors them and their agenda of fascist hegemony, destruction of all morms and the rule of law and mean to create and exploit it.
Setting fire to the American healthcare system is just another tactic of distraction and destruction intended to create new chaos they can exploit and which will veil all the other crimes and duplicity they plan.
There will be more before 2020, and they now know that "national emergency" is a workable tool to further their coup when the time is right.
Don't underestimate them. They are cruel, criminal and determined to take and keep power.
10
Whats alarming is you keep writing articles as if you expect the “rule of law” to have any relevance to this President.
8
Take names! November 2020 the party of Trump, should not hold office in the House, Senate or the White House.
8
Here's another reason why Trump's new policy is a very bad sign of things to come. Note the timing of his announcement - a day after the Mueller report was "summarized" by Barr, and it was announced that Mueller found no collusion. Trump obviously felt a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders. So what does he do immediately? He comes gunning for Obamacare, the signature legislation of the Obama Presidency, as well as the number two priority of the Democratic congress (the number one priority is the election of a Democratic President in 2020) Trump now has nothing holding him back. We are now entering probably the most dangerous time of his Presidency for the U.S. and the rest of the world.
11
Yet again Trump steps on his own message. They were declaring victory just two days ago over the Mueller report. Now, they hand the Democrats a winning issue for the presidential race. It changes the conversation with no effort from the Democrats.
Yes,thankfully, they really are as incompetent as they appear.
Balls back in your court, Pelosi. We trust you know what to do with it.
10
McConnell and the GOP in general have been focused on the courts and the SCOTUS for years. Trump and McConnell are counting on the SCOTUS to do their dirty work, and they used the Senate to get the justices they wanted-it is all connected, people. I tried to tell my Democratic friends and family that we had to worry more about the SCOTUS but I could not get them to share my fear. We Democrats must become more strategic and far thinking and aim to win back ALL branches of government-executive, legislative AND judicial! All we have now is one part of the legislative branch and it is not enough.
6
I never expected anything from Barr except exactly what he is doing. He proved himself to be a Trump Toady in his 19-page plea for the job as Attorney General, he consolidated that position in his sketchy Congressional hearings, and he has decided to sacrifice his personal integrity and a lifetime legacy of work on the altar of Donald Trump. Now more than ever we need a strong Congress. Both Democratic and Republican leaders should be horrified by this administration’s blatant overreach of the Constitution and the law. The welfare of the American people should be first and foremost in the leadership of every administration. Criminally lacking in this one.
11
There is no threat to the rule of law. That horse is out of the barn.
According to the Constitution, which is the highest law, it is up to Congress to decide what the government can spend the taxpayers money on. If POTUS can take six billion Dollars of the tax payers money and spend it on something that Congress decided not to spend any money on, then the USA are no longer under the rule of law.
"Little people" will always get punished for breaking the law. What matters is, if the High and the Mighty have to obey the law too.
15
"The duty is a close cousin to the president’s constitutional duty to enforce the law."
But the duty also arises from the constitutional provision that makes the Congress first among equals: art. 1, sec.8 grants to Congress *all* power vested in the federal government or any department or officer (read: the Dept. of Justice and the Attorney General).
Congress determines whether the DOJ even exists. Congress dictates what rules the DOJ must follow. If the DOJ works "for" anyone it is the Congress.
The 1st priority of the DOJ is to defend the United States -- including all of its statutes -- in court so long as *any* constitutional argument can be made for them.
5
“Attorney General William Barr was supposed to be a voice of reason in the Trump administration." The first indication that Barr is a liar was his absurd letter pertaining to the Mueller Investigation. And now this.
Government by decree has become our government.
Democrats and independents must fight for our Constitution like our lives depend on it. No more crafty compromises. America will not survive unless rule of Law is restored and waiting for the Mueller Report demonstrated one thing: waiting empowers Republicans to strip the law and the Constitution of meaning. Stop waiting.
6
Next up, get rid of taxes for the 1% as they are the job creators.
3
@ZOPK55 - Republicans would like that. My state, KS, actually zeroed out taxes on 138,000 LLCs, promising it would bring about an "explosion" of jobs and growth. As everyone knows by now, it destroyed the state's economy and harmed our public services, our education system, our infrastructure and our pensions. A subsequent legislature repealed the tax cuts, but we're still trying to dig out of the gigantic hole.
1
Is it still just a threat when the damage can be seen?
4
Americans demand authoritarian leaders who take away everything. Trump is perfect for Americans.
2
And when ACA is gone, what do the Republicans or this Administration have to replace it?
NOTHING!
Sounds like on of Don the Con's business plans.
7
President Obama could have easily expanded medicaid to provide healthcare to those in this country that did not have access.
Instead, in a disgusting power grab, he derailed the healthcare system that was in place and worked for most Americans (myself included). What was left after he insured everyone...junk health care plans that were expensive and provided nothing, absolutely nothing.
At least President Trump is willing to start over (it can't get any worse).
4
Melissa, you are wrong. One of the very key elements of Obama care was that it instituted an absolute cap on out of pocket expenses that benefited everyone, rich or poor. That plus the ban on the ability for insurance companies not to insure people who had pre existing conditions was absolutely beneficial for everyone. Nobody questions that, except Republican representatives who are in the pockets of health insurance companies who want this particular feature repealed at all costs.
24
@Melissa M.
Start over with what, exactly? Republicans and Mr. Trump have complained for years now and their proposal is, wait for it, NOTHING!
If there were a plan on the table, people could decide which is better: the Republican/Trump plan or the ACA.
If this was such a simple proposition, why didn't the Republicans make a replacement proposal when they had majorities in both houses?
14
The Grande Old Party is running out of road and they know it.
The 38 % base is all they have.
You can get elected by division, but you can’t govern by division.
Justice is a slow train coming. I can hear it in the distance, should be here in 2020.
238
@ITsOK
What a cool comment and wonderful analogy about justice being a slow train in the distance.
28
@ITsOK. 2020 is the new WMD
5
@ITsOK
It's frightening to me that his base is still as high as 38%! What does he have to do for them to see the truth? He has publicly stated that people without money are "losers" and yet they vote for and support him. Boggles the mind. One of the few true statements he has made is that he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and his base would still support him...
32
The professor is not actually addressing the substantive civil law issues attending this current public policy initiative, nor the actual distortions in the Act proper: he apparently seeks to promote fear. This is an ideological essay, somewhat in the same framework of law school solidarity and protesting of the Kavanaugh nomination: facts and reason are fugitive. The ACA is otherwise a deeply flawed legal and technical document, even if you are aligned conceptually with its intentions (in medical care) except that the putative intention, health provisioning, has been subordinated to its actual one--tax and wealth transfer from the fit to the unfit, and especially from the insured to the insurer (due to special interest lobbying and Obama Administration collusion). None of which actually gets at the three biggest problems still in US health care: 1. insurance company intermediation and profit incentives; 2. health provider pricing discrimination and predation; and 3. health status distribution (1 in 3 Americans are medically obese). The professor otherwise provides a case study for law students, in not only logical fallacy, but arguably in deviation from the Model Rules of Professional Conduct (assuming he holds an ARDC number) and especially in this context, the AALS, 'Law Professors in the Discharge of their Ethical and Professional Responsibilities.' Thank you and Regards.
3
@Matt Andersson....All very nice, but wouldn't a rational person want to see what you were going to replace Obamacare with before you repeal it?
6
It is truly stunning that our Attorney General wouldn't stand up for every law on the books. Otherwise, laws become whatever the president wants them to be. And the next president -- thank goodness there will another one -- could decide to simply undo any law of Trumps. I can't believe Barr doesn't see and fear that outcome.
6
I don't understand why Trump is so determined to erase Obama's legacy. Doesn't he realize that people will always remember which president cared about them (Obama) and which president hurt them (Trump)?
11
A) No, he doesn’t care and neither do his Republican co-conspirators;
B) They have to pay for the tax cuts they implemented for their rich buddies and donors;
C) Trump and Repubs are intent to dismantle our govt. they’ve always wanted “small govt” - no regulations for banks, business, polluters; no infrastructure or safety net for others;
D) They think they’ll keep on winning elections no matter what people want: voter repression, Electoral College, gerrymandering, poorly educated population.
10
"We'll have a plan that is far better than Obamacare" says Trump. What is his plan? The Republicans had no plan to"replace" Obamacare in 2017. They and the president have no plan now. That is a fundamental problem with their attack on the Affordable Care Act.
12
Honestly, you can't see this push to kill the ACA as anything more than a notch in the belt for the GOP.
What's their alternative?
If there are problems with ACA, fix them. Make it better, but don't roll back healthcare for millions. It's far cheaper to prevent disease or a chronic illness turning into an emergency, than to place people in hospitals that under federal law cannot deny treatment.
8
If Trump prevails, all policy levers will tilt decidedly toward single-payer health care.
3
Why not just disallow coverage of 'preexisting conditions, do away with Medicaid, and change the name from Obamacare to Trumpcare? That would appease Trump, and it would appease Big Insurance companies. It's not a win-win situation for everyone, but let's face it, we all can't be winners.
1
It occurs to me that this may simply be a ploy. Trump needs a Democratic impeachment. Now that this is unlikely to result from the Mueller probe, he needs another mechanism to force the Democrats to impeach. As legislation is now blocked, he can only turn to the courts to upturn the rule-of-law.
3
Trump has absolutely no idea of what Obamacare is. He only know it involves Obama. He and his supporters do not know what it has done for them. Rural hospitals are now better off, though still in jeopardy. Trump supporters who benefited will tell you with a straight face that they got their new insurance from their STATE, not from that socialist Obamacare.
So it's like the soybean farmers who are ready to lose their farms for Trump's bad decisions.
This is alarming to those who understand the issues. But how to stop him?
23
It’s still beyond me how some people can put that much of a faith in Trump, like he is some alien with super brain, a Godsend, really, when his track record clearly shows so much failure and a tendency of crookedness.
5
The GOP is attempting to position itself as the “Healthcare Party” for 2020, and it appears that the first step is to radically disrupt an already struggling system and blame the chaos on the ACA.
The phony nostalgia party can then make the pitch to voters that things were much better in the good ol’ days.
9
1. The Republicans have never had a plan to improve national health care (except for the basics of the ACA, that we all know came out of conservative think tank).
2. Trump has never had a plan to make things better.
3. Health care is expensive, especially for chronic conditions. The Republicans do have designs on how to throw those people off the rolls.
4. Insurance administrative costs are astronomical. They could be improved, with collaboration (impossible?).
5. Republicans want to cut more taxes, not improve any social program, ever.
6
What's more alarming is that Americans voted for that criminal and crackpot Trump. I hope everyone sees what a creep and loser he is. Vote out the creep in 2020.
18
Horror show !
2
Republicans outdoing each other in CRUELTY, NASTINESS, ABIUSE
8
Dominoes . . . . First . . . . ACA . . . . . . Medicare . . . . Social Security . . . . . Infrastructure . . . .
7
Why is it seldom pointed out that most of the people fighting Obamacare are themselves the beneficiaries of exceptional comprehensive government-funded healthcare?
How can they accept this healthcare and not wish the same for the citizens they represent?
Some brave Congressman should submit a bill that will eliminate all health care for all members of Congress if the ACA is overturned.
20
To all the naysayers, how else could Republicans free up enough money to pass another tax cut for the wealthy?
9
@Bosox rule...Actually, when Obama was President, the House tried to repeal Obamacare more than 30 times; and each time the Congressional Budget Office reported that ending Obamacare would cost the country about $10 billion dollars over he next 10 years. Bottom line, repealing obamacare is more expensive than keeping it.
3
@W.A. Spitzer - Republicans actually tried to repeal the ACA 70 times. And still they have no plan to replace it.
1
For a businessman who apparently disregarded the rule of law for his entire career, Donald Trump continuing to do so as president should come as no surprise. The great fear now is that, with the outcome of the Mueller Report, there will be nothing to hold Trump back.
14
Many Americans are unfamiliar with countries that operate under rules rather than laws. Laws define standards and boundaries for those in power and govern society as a whole. Rules adapt to serve the individual desires of those in power, regardless of societal interests. Trump is seeking the latter and trying to sell people that'll be good for them. No, it won't. It will take away the rights of all citizens in the United States. Without a basis in law, who will decide the appeal of citizens about wrongful treatment? The rule-maker of course! Please reject any and all efforts by anyone to take away our rights under the law before its too late. Its in the best interest of all of us to do so.
6
Unfortunately, Prof. Bagley began this piece with a non sequitur: "Attorney General William Barr was supposed to be a voice of reason in the Trump administration."
Being a voice of reason is a disqualifying attribute for prospective members of the Trump administration.
12
trumps, and the Gop's, push to kill the ACA is a reflection of the New Gilded Aristocracy. Their mantra of Individualism may be great for those with the means but they sell this mantra for reasons of greed. Individualism has been a trait of Americans for a long time but now it's being sold as a way to absolve the New Aristocracy of obligations to society. The "only the strong survive" attitude sounds so great but we all have a weak moment and that moment shouldn't mean our demise. The "stand on your own two feet" is another mantra that means we shouldn't need rules to protect us from dangerous job, rules that protect our right to decent wages and rules that protect our rights to vote and the citizenship that comes with it. They want us to believe that all we need is God, Guns and Bullets. Pray to God you never have to use that last bullet before the wolves of the New Aristocracy fall upon you.
9
Trump just gave the orthodox Republicans another reason to dump him. He's signed them up for a fight they do not want and cannot win.
5
Trump is now emboldened to do whatever he wants on any issue by executive order or tweeting domestic and foreign policy as his whim hits him after watching Fox & Friends .Trump already feels the justice dept is his personal attorney and the military is his political ally on all issues. Trump also feels free to usurp the power of the purse from congress to use funds for his pet projects and and Trump wants to control the Fed and what decisions corp ceo's make, what antitrust actions should take place. Trump wants to be our defacto dictator and the GOP is fine with that as he is their dictator and what damage to our democracy Trump will inflict. Foreign policy and military policy by tweet based on a whim without consulting experts will have dire consequences as our image around the world is only liked by brutal dictators who Trump wants to rule like.
5
A most inhumane, vindictive, and harmful decision brought upon us by the Republicans and Mr. Petty Trump. Dump Trump 2020.....
12
This move by Trump against the ACA points out the flaw in the Democrat's strategy to remove Trump. STOP THE ATTACKS.
Let Trump do EXACTLY what comes into that fetid brain of his. Trump will be Trump's undoing.
The Democratic attacks just get in the way of giving Trump the entire stage to expose himself as the little boy who didn't learn his lines.
6
Duty to defend? What a joke. Where was Mr. Bagley when the Obama DOJ refused to defend DOMA?
2
As was the case the last time Republicans wanted to kill insurance for 20 million people, it will still kill an estimated over 25,000 Americans every year prematurely .
3
Another 'piece' in today's digital NYT reports that Mulvaney influenced trump to 'shoot the moon' in re "Obamacare" … by directing the DOJ to support its total 'redaction' in a federal appellate court.
So … we know now that Mulvaney is as stupid as trump -- and we're now fairly certain that he is at least almost as evil.
We know now, too … that A.G. Bill Barr is as spineless as he is dismissive of his constitutional duty to provide and 'make' legal defense in support of any and all federal laws, certainly including the ACA (even if that Act had not already 'passed muster' in the Supreme Court) -- and 'excepting' only such, if any, for which no reasonable defense is considered legally 'possible' (partisan influence, including trump's evil and ignorant 'wishes,' 'aside').
10
@Thomas Murray - Mulvaney has been the leader in destroying federal employees' benefits - health care among them. His ambition appears to be to turn the federal workforce into at-will employees - a 'right to work' nation.
6
Take names. 2020 vote out all the swampies.
1
Let's not forget the Democrats have health care for all on their agenda, which I'm on board with. Perhaps Trump and the GOP are trying their best to distract the Dems' efforts from health care for all by attacking ACA instead.
It's so disheartening and mind-boggling to see one party against everything that would improve the lives of ALL Americans: access to health care, clean air and water, a good education etc.
7
Favoring the profits of the insurance industry (donor class) over the health of Americans, the GOP, radical and broken party that it is, continues to work against the interests of all citizens not in the 1%. That the ACA is based on plans put forth by Nixon, Dole, and Romney matters not. Once President Obama was for it, the GOP hated it. Rather than work with Democrats to lower costs, the GOP cried repeal and replace for over 7 years. What would they replace it with? Tax cuts for the wealthiest and a return to pre-existing conditions and ER visits by the uninsured for which the rest of us pay.
Only informed citizens (which leaves out Fox Newz viewers) can save the nation now.
4
@MHW Didn't "the insurance industry" publish and increase in profit after the passage of ObamaCare? Yes Romney was a milk toast horrible candidate for the Republicans to run.
"Only informed citizens (which leaves out Fox Newz viewers) can save the nation now."
Yes you are all such great people. Go ahead and clap more (seal)
The Democratic Party should focus on this issue in the four states that swung to Trump in 2016 and back to the Democrats in 2018: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. If they stay with the Democrats, then Trump will lose in 2020.
2
@Pete, If Bozo was on the ticket as a Democrat I would vote him in. No more Trump no more Trumpets/synchophants...I hope Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa are AWAKE now after 2 1/2 years of horrors.Trump is a Destroyer...............
But, I think right at this moment, this is Trump changing the subject. Albeit, Trump does hate with a cruel hatred all the things Obama - Trumps behaviors are consistent with the pathology of his own brain. But this i think is just more chaos, more shiny objects. He's trying to suck all the oxygen away from the Mueller Report re: his collusion (TRUMP will always be the common denominator). And his obstruction, in my opinion.
2
My partner and I have been discussing how these dominoes are lined up to fall. This isn't a naive or irrational action on the Trump administration's part. It's sociopathic. But it is a simple plan ensuring Republican power. It wasn't long-gamed from the very beginning, but in their current position, they now realize this can work for 2020.
STEP 1 - They undermined ACA with the 2017 tax law, causing inefficiencies that increased citizen frustration.
STEP 2 - They installed Kavanaugh, winning a conservative Supreme Court majority.
STEP 3 - Democrats won the House on basic governance issues - the biggest one being health care. R's realized this.
STEP 4 - Trump has a post-Mueller breather. He and Barr now back an overreaching Texas ruling killing ACA.
STEP 5 - The ruling goes to the 5th circuit who say no. But SCOTUS agrees to hear the appeal. ACA is overturned, wrecking the American healthcare system and causing untold distress.
STEP 6 - Trump says Democrats and Obama called all the problems in the first place. He destroys the Democrats' brand as the party of healthcare. He sweeps in with "TRUMPCARE," something worse for patients, better for insurers and better than nothing at all. He is re-elected by a confused and desperate populace. Another two election cycles pass before people realize their care stinks, while our democracy erodes.
4
Keep it up, GOP, and Medicare For All will be here in no time.
4
@TOM Oh yes because when Kamala gets elected ~ it will be so easy for her to do this. i am sure you will be able to keep you doctor (this time)
@Russian Bot....I am on Medicare. I can go to whatever doctor I want to. You object to allowing people to purchase Medicare as a healthcare insurance option????? What's your point?
4
@Russian Bot - People on Medicare can see any doctor and use any hospital they want. Why shouldn't every American have that right?
3
Trump is pulling out all the stops after his "exoneration" by Mueller. Trump's extreme narcissism is boiling over and he is more dangerous now than ever. Thank the Republican leadership for siccing this mad dog on our nation. Lock them all up!!
6
@Jefflz "Trump's extreme narcissism is boiling over and he is more dangerous now than ever." Is this what projection is? I know you have been fed a narrative your whole life by the corporate media but this a bit much.
Well, you have to hand it to the WH ‘can’t shoot straight’ gang. It may be that everybody, Republicans and Democrats alike, wanted to ‘move on’ from the minutiae of the crime and slime jamboree of the 2016 election. Trump and Barr just gave the Democrats a huge gift which will keep on giving all the way through the 2020 presidential race: keep your hands off my healthcare! Thank you Donny, but I have to wonder, inside that narcissistic shell, it there a child hellbent on failing? Isn’t that the truth of your business career, hiding in plain sight?
2
Trump handed the dems a gift for 2020.....
1
Since when does the rule of law mean anything to our liar in chief. He cares nothing about the people who need these services and prides himself in erasing everything that past presidents have done for the good of our country and democracy. He is a dictator through and through, out to enrich himself and his family. He is proud of all the 'good' he claims he's done. He has no empathy or regard for anyone other than the wealthy.
4
@Louise"the rule of law" funny you would bring that up given how Obama Care was forced on the American public via a bunk Supreme court decision. The 'fine' was ridiculous.
"past presidents have done for the good of our country and democracy." Like what?
"He is a dictator" What a joke
Mr. Barr's actions regarding the Affordable Care Act begs the public to further assess his thoughts and actions regarding the Mueller Report. If one was inclined to accept his findings and move on, his actions regarding the Affordable Care Act might disabuse one of that inclination. Mr. Trump finally found his man!
3
What's up with the Republicans shouting, "socialism"? Trump's father and mother-in-law were/are both members of the Communist Party. So what's worse: American brand of democratic socialism or Russian style Communism?
The rest of the discussion is somewhere between nonsens3e and manure.
For all his talk about how bad "Obama Care" is, President Trump has yet to present a reasonable replacement. Neither has the Senate (run by Republicans) or Congressional GOP members. What ever happened to the " repeal and replace" that Trump touted during the campaign?? Show us your healthcare plan BEFORE you tear down what we have!
1
"my base, my base" .
I wish that person would remember he is president of the entire united states.
288
@sjs
He's not my president - that's why I moved away.
31
@sjs: Yes, he is, but the only ones who matter to him are the wealthy, corporations, and, when he happens to remember, his base.
He doesn't need the rest of us to win an election, just a few important battleground red states, just enough to carry the Electoral College.
14
Doesn't this sound like ISIS in Palmyra, Iraq, laying waste to Iraq's historical art, structures and artifacts because they did not suit their lunatic ideology?
3
The rule of law means nothing to Donald Trump; or haven't you noticed. "I could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and still get elected." Donald Trump 2016.
3
Really, Democrats? Threat to the rule of law? Please. There are only so many times you can cry wolf, after Joe Manchin voted for Kavanaugh, who may be the one who strikes down Obamacare. DRAMA, DEMOCRATS! DRAMA!
Enough with the drama. A broken, unconstitutional system needs to be fixed. Stop whining already.
2
This is a great opportunity for Democrats to seize the moment and go for single payer's healthcare. People--Republicans-- are going to react when they see the possibilities of even Obamacare removed. This is (thankfully) folly from Trump's p. Push forward with a critique of Obamacare as insufficient, indeed, and go beyond with an alternative of what needs to be done.
1
Republican DISCRIMINATION against all who need Healthcare insurance is SICKENING.
1
I am so delighted to know the cost of sticking it to Obama and the Democrats is to assure that my husband and I are raped financially, left to die financially, and then just left to die.
*That's* what I call a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Anyone notice a similarity to how leaders like Kim Jung Un and other dictators treat their citizenry?
4
@Cathy I really don't wan't to pay for your and my own families insurance. Leave me alone
~Thanks
And we thought appointing Betsy DeVos was the worst Trump could do. This guy is DeVos with a vocabulary.
3
In the space of 2 short days, Barr has shown how dictatorship are born as the rule of law is dismantled. So long as McConnell controls the Senate, there is no hope that Congress will control an administration determined to ignore the Constitution. The attack on healthcare shows the true goal of the Trump party: we won't pay taxes and you are on your own. #WPE worst president ever #PP Putin's puppet #MCAE most corrupt administration ever #LTU lock Trump up
4
Call it what it is: Putincare,
1
I didn't expect to laugh while reading Professor Bagley's brutally clear explanation, but
“You thought your position was crazy? Hold my beer.”
!!!
1
Just do it already. Destroy anything left that is good and decent in this country.
Maybe by the time the next election comes around this so called trump base will have felt some pain and figure out how to vote for the good of their fellow citizens...but I have my doubts.
1
The bull is loose in the china shop now. I'm moving to Canada.
1
Is this satire? Looking for justice and reason from the Trump administration is tantamount to looking for Bigfoot riding a unicorn.
The short answer to your query is, as always, Trump’s character, or lack thereof. Now that he is out from under the Mueller probe (woe, unto you, good sir), he is free to pursue other perceived slights and grievances. In this case, his visceral hatred of all things Obama and his beyond-the-grave feud with John McCain.
What does Trump care if he totally disrupts the healthcare system that millions of Americans depend on? If he can further diminish the legacy of President Obama, and at the same time thumb his nose at the memory of Senator McCain, as far as Trump is concerned, it is a win-win.
4
Trump is an emotional toddler, motivated by grudges and revenge against anyone (including John McCain) who bruises his ego. He may also believe his racist base will cheer his latest move to eradicate the "illegitimate" Obama from the history books. He probably considers the fact that overturning the ACA would cause incalculable chaos and suffering beneficial to his re-election campaign: He'll get an ovation at rallies when he blames Democrats.
The zeal of other Republicans to overturn the ACA is even easier to explain. There's the appeal to racists in their base, but the main reason is their wealthy donors, who are their only real constituents, despise any government program that benefits anyone other than themselves. They believe the only legitimate purpose of government is to protect their wealth and to redistribute more wealth into their pockets. The ACA is particularly offensive because it confiscates their entitled wealth as taxes to provide health care for undeserving "takers."
As we saw during the two years they controlled the White House and Congress, Republicans implement their constituents' vision by cutting taxes for the wealthy, and through "deregulation" that eliminates barriers to constituents' greed. They have no qualms about the damage that agenda does, as the people it harms are not their constituents and are thus expendable.
Democrats have done a poor job of both elucidating this agenda to voters and communicating a better agenda.
5
Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them. If at all possible we must interpret the Act in a way that is consistent with the former, and avoids the latter,” Roberts wrote. JUNE 25,2015
THANK YOU SCOTUS I DO REMEMBER
2
Just an FYI, childbirth is considered a pre-exsisting condition. So is a simple muscle sprain and even headaches. Virtually anything you’ve ever checked “yes” to on the questionnaire in a drs office can legally be called a pre-exsisting condition. Good luck America, you need it.
4
Trump is a truly evil man. The only reason he is doing this is because of his intense hatred of President Obama. President Obama is everything Trump is not - intelligent, insightful, kind and compassionate. Trump will eventually get his due. It has started already with most of his named apartment buildings in NYC removing the Trump name from their facades. Rents and condo prices are at a standstill because no one wants to move into a Trump building. Let's make sure he doesn't paint "Trump" on the side of the White House.
4
Healthcare for all people vs healthcare for obscene profits...Democrats vs Republicans
2
And we thought refusal to meet the climate challenge was our worst nightmare. Where does it end?
4
Well the first and best thing Trump did was end the ACA penalty. Please, kill the program. Stop the charade of a healthcare system that is just a subsidized insurance business system. The ONLY reason the Democrats would fight this is that Neoliberals are in the pocket of Big Insurance. End the charade and allow Sander, who WILL be the next President, fix this mess with universal Medicare.
3
He's not electable and, even if he were, he would never be able to muster support for universal health care. Both are dead ends.
@Glenn Thomas - Sanders is the most popular politician in the country, and about 1/3rd of Trump voters say they would have voted for him rather than Trump, had not the DNC rigged the primary. He raises money like Iowa raises corn. His crowds are massive, his integrity is proved over decades, he takes no corporate money, he is exactly what America wants, now. You may need to get away from the TV, CNN & MSNBC are consummate neoliberal propaganda.
2
The only good part about this move is the number of fools who voted for Trump who will lose their health care coverage. And there will be many of them!
3
Trump has destroyed, or, tried to destroy everything Obama accomplished, regardless of its merit. A narcissistic demagogue, Trump is compelled by his ego to do so. Revenge is a symptom, or, characteristic of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Trump is destroying all things Obama because he was ridiculed and humiliated by Obama at a White House Press Corps Dinner (remember those?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TwRmX6zs4
I'd like to add, in regard to the Mueller report, that it is absurd to me that a single individual, this fellow Barr, should have the absolute power to determine what is seen or not seen by American Citizens. We can make our own minds up about the report. We do not need a "Cliff's Notes" version.
By the way, we fought our revolutionary war against absolute power, nepotism, established oligarchy, demagoguery, taxation without representation and they are alive and doing very well in Washington D.C. Ironic isn't it?
4
The Mueller report found "NO SMOKING GUN" for collusion but the common denominator will always be TRUMP!! We know who he is, and what he is...
3
I wish I could add a hyper-sonic subliminal signal to all Fox News Broadcasts which would track in real time - all of the evening "talking heads" shows and essentially say: "You are being lied to" - everything a host or guest tells a lie.
Whenever Trump speaks, this same signal needs to run a continuous loop saying: "Not only am I lying to you - I can't stand any of you" . . . "I'm stealing all of America's Wealth and giving it, first to me and my family and the rest to the 1% who allows me to make such fools of you." . . .
"I don't need healthcare - I'm rich - and I don't care if you suffer and lose your home - I just do not care about any of you"
Of course this is a "must app" for Mitch McConnell as well.
The GOP will do whatever their minority base lets them get away with.
McConnell would love to end Social Security, Medicare, Free Public Schools, and all government agencies which protect us but get in the way of greedy GOP Supports to steal money.
We need a Free and un-interfered 2020 Election . . . and maybe . . .
A Democratic Platform - Starting very soon - which is Unified and EVERYONE gets on Board -
Frankly - The ONLY Democratic Candidate I want is the one who can totally wipe out Trump and the GOP Senate - with Overwhelming Total Dominance in all arms of our government.
It's time to squash the parasitical bugs.
4
@Leonard Dornbush
Yes, you’ve hit on a good point. Late last year, I sat in a crowded waiting area on the day that my eye care practice does laser procedures for glaucoma patients. I was about 10 to 20 years younger than most of them (lucky me). I listened to a little old lady loudly bothering the guy next to her with her views on healthcare. “Those Democrats are the ones trying to take away our healthcare, Trump, he’s the one who’s trying to fix it.” Even most hardcore Trump supporters know this is not true. I wonder where on earth she ever got such an idea?
1
Mr. Trump has never read the Law, or for that matter the Constitution.
Until the House of Representatives get off their fat rears, Mr. Trump is going to listen to his "acting" chief of staff and his court jester, Stephen Miller, and murder innocent Americans.
2
Trump has never read anything. He practices Braille on unsuspecting women. That is his only reading skill.
1
I am not, by any means, advocating for the ACA to be invalidated, but if Trump is going to do this, now is the time to do it. The effects on his base of losing their healthcare coverage just may make them vote against him in the 2020 elections. No guarantees, mind you, since his base has voted against their own well-being and that of the country at every opportunity so far.
Combine that with a powerful insurance lobby that happens to like having 20 million or more insurable people to make money from, I don't think this will go so well for Donnie.
1
Remember when the Republicans courted the older population?
"The ACA has meant lower premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs for the roughly 60 million senior citizens and disabled Americans enrolled in Medicare. And it helped close the gap in Medicare's drug coverage." - CNN
Seniors will pay more or get less. But do want to bet they will continue to vote Republican?
2
It isn't President Trump that put this law in jeopardy. It was the amendment to the ACA that eliminated the tax penalty in the law. Chief Justice Roberts relied on the federal taxing authority as the jurisdictional basis to uphold the Act as being within the power of the congress under the constitution.
Robert's swing vote upholding the ACA took a knock-out punch when the law was amended.
Now it is up to the Democratic House and the Senate Republicans to come up with a replacement. But there will have to be a replacement -- who owns the healthcare issue is up for grabs.
It actually wasn’t Roberts but his law clerk who allegedly saved the ACA. There’s a story there.
This is all about politics, not about upholding the law of the land or coming up with new policies to address issues affecting millions of citizens (as Prof. Bagley helpfully points out, not just self-employed people or people who work for small businesses and have to buy individual health insurance, but people who get health insurance through their jobs, their spouses' jobs, their parents' jobs). I am open to hearing new health insurance policies from Republicans, but they don't have any to show us. They've had years to come up with something, and they literally didn't even try. They just spout platitudes about the free market, socialized medicine, healthcare isn't a right, blah, blah, blah. They've had two years since Trump was elected, and they STILL don't have a plan to show us. They all get their insurance through their jobs for free. I doubt Sen. Cassidy or Sen. Graham has ever seen or paid a doctor's bill. They have someone else "handle" such trivia. Why should they care?
3
It is actually rather brilliant that Trump has managed to shoot himself in the foot so soon after winning a temporary boost from Barr's letter about the Mueller report. His strategy of continual chaos defeats even his own successes.
2
@gpridge Maybe Republicans want to see Obama Care repealed?
@Russian Bot If Trump pushes for Obamacare repeal, Republicans will lose voters. If, god forbid, he manages to get it repealed, Republicans will own the healthcare issue, and screw it up, and face devastating election losses. The only way this won't happen is if they somehow manage to repeal Obamacare and then blame the repeal on the Democrats. With Russian propaganda help, anything is possible!
1
@gpridge Do you remember the 2010 election? I think Republicans are good to go on the repeal.
"With Russian propaganda help, anything is possible!".... oh no
As a student facing the stress and rigor of college life, the last thing I want to worry about is if I can afford to pay for my tuition and depression medication.
4
@Matthew Thomas Okay I am not seeing the argument here other than I deserve X because... what?
1
So many moments since this guy began his quest for office; so many moments when we thought " he can't get away with saying/doing that! He's done for!" And yet nothing seems to put more than a dent in the support he has among so many republicans.
Could this be the real deal?
Could this be the straw that breaks the camel's back?
So many republicans in red states pushing for medicare expansion under the ACA, so many who will be forced back to the bad old days of our old "system".
Add all the alarming stuff he has said and done - the drip, drip, drip of events that repeatedly point to the man's unfitness for office.
Can his presidency survive a move that will take away health care access for tens of millions of Americans and literally cause the deaths of many?
3
The legal reasoning behind the Texas judges ruling is ridiculous. If that were allowed to stand, one could effectively repeal legislation by changing tax laws and saying that other laws are now broken.
Laws operate independently whether or not that makes economic or social sense. Judges can’t invalidate laws just because they judge that they won’t work. Congress’s job is to evaluate that and to fix broken laws, if indeed they are broken.
2
@Jazz Paw Really? The way Obama Care got through the supreme court is ridiculous. To 'fine' Americans for not buying something is not constitutional.
The change to the tax code more than likely ensures that Obama Care will die and be ruled unconstitutional as it should have been the first time.
"Judges can’t invalidate laws just because they judge that they won’t work." That's not what he did.
1
It also might be worth keeping in mind that the presidents budget for 2020 reduces funding for Medicare and Medicaid by 81 billion dollars. This has always been the focus of republican small government policy. republicans are the enemy of the social support system.
5
@HT "social support system" First this is a misrepresentation of the redistribution systems in the US. I do not have a choice to give money into these systems it is taken by force. (Not exactly a social support system)
Since the war on poverty what has actually happened? Could it have been nothing? Yup... Social security will be dead before your children even get to 'withdraw' anything or maybe even you depending on your age.
You're too kind. Republicans are the enemy of our nation as we know it.
@Russian Bot You do know that we pay into these systems. It is required. I do agree. However you do get your money back when you retire. The money is redistributed from yourself to yourself. And it insures that people like yourself will not be destitute in old age and dependent the rest of us for their support. The math needs to be corrected but that is how it works.
I tell you what. How about we end support for the military? That would really save a lot of money. Keep a couple of nuclear missiles armed and ready to protect us from the russians.
I do not have a car. So we could defund the national highway system. The few times that I rent, I could put up with some pot holes and dirt roads.
2
Anyone who cares about the rule of law? Apparently not this brand of Republicans.
Let's just hope that even just their goal to destroy our (yes, still flawed) current health care system is enough to give the Dems a landslide for 2020.
4
It's clear that Pharaoh has spoken:
Let the name of Moses, oops, Obama... be stricken from every book and tablet...
Stricken from all pylons and obelisks,
Stricken from every monument of Trumplandia.
Let the name of... Obama be unheard and unspoken,
Erased from the memory of men... for all time.
So it it shall be tweeted. So it shall be done!
400
@SG
Perfect analogy!
26
@SG
Pea-brain Trump is going to really screw up healthcare coverage if he eliminates the ACA.
Tens of millions of Americans will live in mortal fear of not having affordable coverage as we ALL, every single one of us, have "pre-existing" conditions.
This will drive all Americans to the polls in 2020 to remove Trump.
No matter what, Trump will not be President in 2021.
37
@SG Perfect!
16
I'm disappointed that the New York Times refers to the Affordable Care Act as "Obamacare" when there are people who believe they are different things. If you pride yourself on using correct names, please do so with laws.
8
More inane ideas and silly court decisions originate from Texas than any other state. They begin with a conclusion and work backwards to arrive at how to explain the conclusion. It's usually a classic issue of the premise using the conclusion to define the question.
4
How is this any different from Obama refusing to defend DOMA?
1
@Larry
Scale for one. For another, refusing to defend is passive, whereas actively trying to overturn is activist.
3
“Barr was supposed to be a voice of reason in the Trump administration.”
Really? Given that “Coverup General” was the late Mr. Safire’s name for Mr Barr (recently reported on other media referencing 1992 nytimes), why was Mr Barr granted the benefit of doubt re reasonableness and adherence to stare decisis this time? AG Barr’s scorched earth behavior now seems totally consistent with his behavior back then.
Salvaging rule of law will arguably, in part, take the Upstander Effect: that is, the transformation of “squeamish centrists”
(Mr. Krugman’s buzzword) to into “Upstanders” who are, among other things, willing to call out flawed legal reasoning and leaps in logic for what they are instead of being befuddled (and intimidated) by sheer chutzpah.
6
Guarantees protection, crucial to millions of Americans. Republicans cannot stomach the law helping citizens.
They are behaving like like crazed scavengers at the thought of the masses having healthcare. Mad dogs.
5
Donald Trump is model of consistency; nearly everything about him and what he does is alarming. The lying , the obnoxiousness , his sociopathic lack of compassion for average Americans everywhere, and finally his flagrant and arrogant disregard for the rule of law should be the equivalent of “code red“ for Americans everywhere .
And while one cannot be indicted for all of the aforementioned, the question remains, would you want this man running your country?
4
Why anyone would be surprised that Barr is anything but a today looking to curry favor with Trump after his sycophantic memo about Trump's right to fire anyone for any reason and his unremarkable tenure as AG at the tail end of HW's administration. Let's be real: Trump is a menace to the American people & the presidency gives him way too much power. The only question now is how much damage are we as a nation willing to absorb before we harness the political will to purge our body political this racist, immoral, destructive person from the Presidency.
6
Well, it's up to the American people to stop electing Republicans at ALL levels of government. It's our fault this garbage happens.
7
Trump clearly is jealous of and hates Obama which seems to go back to the public humiliation of Trump by Obama at the Correspondents Dinner in Washington prior to Trump running for President. In his feverish and mindless attempt to reverse all the positives from the Obama administration Trump is indifferent to the harm caused to millions of Americans by his take down Obama campaign.What a shameful way to run a country!!
4
The move to kill the ACA makes no sense until you realize Trump is the president, then it makes perfect sense.
3
Rather than refusing to comply with the federal district court ruling, the Trump Justice Department told the Supreme Court it agrees with the district court's ruling. How can this be construed as a threat to the rule of law?
I can only figure that the supporters of the ACA are the ones that either don't have it, or get it for free. Having had to get our own health insurance for the past 8 years, and not yet eligible for Medicare, we've seen our costs go, for my wife and me, from about $400/mo to about $1600 a month, deductible has increased and coverage has decreased. Plus, our payments are not tax deductible unlike anyone employed and getting coverage through work. I laugh at our daughters in-laws, retired teachers with their golden coverage, being staunch supporters of Obamacare. If they had to pay for it like we do, their tune would change dramatically. Been good democrats, their motto is "what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine". All in the name of "fairness", of course.
2
@DJOHN You assume that your health insurance costs wouldn't have gone up--or would have gone up less--if the ACA hadn't been passed. Yet before the ACA passed, annual health insurance (and other health costs) were rising at a far faster rate. Not to mention the fact that if you and the President you elected get your way, the ACA will vanish in its entirely. Including protections you evidently take for granted. Remember when the big health insurers had departments whose sole purpose was to figure out how to cancel the insurance of any insuree who got really sick? Evidently not. Pre-existing conditions? Again, not. And in a decade, your political party has been unable to come up with any alternative to the ACA. None. Zip. If I were your worst enemy, I'd pray for you to get your heart's desire and see the ACA eliminated.
2
I don't this you take into consideration that without the ACA, your insurance costs would rise also. Or, more likely, you would accept a lower cost policy with much less coverage.
3
@Ehkzu. Yes, the great unknown, who knows what our costs would have been, you certainly don't. Recall that Obama wanted younger folks in the plan to subsidize older people like me, but, realizing they apparently voted for him, made the age limit 26, because I've noticed that my democratic brethren only like things that other people pay for. How funny is that. You are right, however, the republicans don't have a plan. However, the democrats put in a lousy "plan", rushed and unread if you recall (and they are upset that the Green New Deal needed more study, funny!). We all want health coverage but no one wants to pay for it, and the only thing I've seen is Trump, yes Trump, trying to get medical care prices published. If you've been under medical care you
might have noted that the costs appear pretty darned random. And if I were your worst enemy, I'd make you pay your own health costs, and not have me subsidizing them. Ouch.
If Trump had a plan that actually could replace ACA, the only problem here would be Yet Another Violation Of Norms. Without a plan, this is clearly reckless behavior. Where are all of the 2018 Republican candidates who promised to protect pre-existing conditions? Even without the Mueller report, we already know for certain that Trump has committed felonies in the oval office (Stormy reimbursement checks) and has obstructed justice in plain sight. If you listen to Republican quotes from Clinton's impeachment, that's more than enough to dump Trump. But that's not enough for a successful impeachment this go around. Because this legal strategy could lead to immediate changes (e.g. cancellation) to health insurance for millions of Americans, Nancy Pelosi might do well to consider if this makes Donald Trump worth impeaching.
5
Not alarming to me, he promised to do this and now is attempting to deliver. He also promised an alternative, that would take some Dems voting for it. If no alternative is passed it is because Dems won't compromise. The ACA is insurance, poor insurance. I want better care, and focused on those that have severe issues and no money or insurance, not healthy people paying.
2
@vulcanalex Dems voting for what? Your party has offered nothing to vote for. Not in the entirely of the Obama administration. Not in the entirely of the Trump administration. Not today even after the Republican Party has decided that nothing is better than the ACA. I don't think you have the slightest idea what "nothing"--and that's the RepubliCare "plan", face it--will do to you. You could start learning by Googling "medical bankruptcy."
3
Since no offer has been made, there's nothing for Democrats to reject. The chicken or the egg?
2
I don't think you understand how insurance works. The whole premise is based on sharing the risk. Of course, healthy people should pay. By the way, healthy people have a way of turning into very very un-healthy at the most unexpected and inconvenient times.
3
Sometimes I wonder if Trump is trying to do everything he can to become less popular. It has worked like a charm so far...
3
We should be asking the question: why is the DOJ doing this now when health care was a losing issue for the GOP in the last election? I believe that Bill Barr and the Trump administration are just cynical enough that they think the Affordable Care Act won't be overturned. But by stirring up more chaos and division, they could move the goal post on the rule of law while no one is watching and allow the President to declare nearly anything unconstitutional. This sounds similar to declaring a national emergency on the border with Mexico when there isn't one, doesn't it? All of this points to even more concentration of power in the executive branch, and into the hands of an authoritarian president. We are losing our democracy bit by bit, and it's clear the no Republican is willing to defend it.
3
I've been saying this for years, can we please called it the Affordable Care Act or ACA instead of Obamacare. Let's please make the shift. Words matter.
5
How long will the public sit idly by and let Trump destroy American democracy? Obamacare is a sensible piece of legislation, trying for the first time to offer some protection against massive bills that an unfortunate U.S. citizen might end up with and cannot pay.
If Trump had a better plan to replace Obamacare, he has not offered it. Under these circumstance, I have to pronounce Trump the most irresponsible President in recent history, determined to dismantle any provision that helps the common man, the 99 percent.
In any other country, Trump-like irresponsible and immoral behavior would trigger a revolution causing massive disruption of law and order. If the President does not care for the law of the land, why should the public?
I don’t like to write an angry comment. I say enough is enough. We’ve got to do something to restrain this mad man.
6
Rule of law is owned and operated by Donald Trump and his Republican Party leadership acolytes. When Mr. Mueller failed to recommend indictments for Mr. Trump and his various assistants in crime, the rule of law was turned over to our political strongman. Law is what Donald Trump says it is. Live with it.
Republicans? Rule of law? Wow, those are two terms you don't see together very often.
6
Unless they are the ones who scribe them, Mr Trump and his rabid followers in Congress have no use for the rules of law.
While I don't consider myself naive it is difficult to think those presently in control grew up in the same nation that helped to defeat facism.
As they seem to be seeking partners who clearly espouse violence as the means to power and control it is also difficult to think they manage to walk upright.
3
Bannonstein tells the story of Steven Bannonstein, an radical neoconservative, right wing strategist who creates a hideous, sapient creature in an unorthodox political experiment. The author, Mitch McConnell started writing this story in 1984.
2
One more step toward dismembering every attempt of government to solve problems. If the Supreme Court can be counted upon to declare every such attempt “unconstitutional” upon one pretext or another, the screwy fraction of Oligarchs are firmly in control.
1
If this is what we allow to happen to each other and we are then shame on us. It's long past sitting around and lamenting although I admit to being so unutterably depressed over America's corrosive and shaming descent that I hardly see the point. A nation that feasts on the poor and gleefully foams at the mouth in support of corporate welfare.
3
trump seems to equate revenge on a political opponent and a healthcare policy. trump needs to follow the yellow brick road to the wizard. He needs to receive a brain, a heart, and a whole lot of courage.
2
Trump is a creature not capable of engineering these satanically clever methods with surgical precision, inflicting maximum devastation.
William Barr is capable. These right-wing initiatives are carefully crafted - implemented by clever, educated, morally-bankrupt individuals loyal to a well-organized cult controlling all branches of government from behind the scenes with zero transparency. Trump is the signature pen. This is a reality horror show - and the whole world really is watching.
5
One need look no further than the state from which that decision originated: More silly ideas and ill-advised decisions come from Texas than any other - hands down! They call it Cowboy Justice.
4
if you read Jane Mayer's book, "Dark Money," you will discover that the Koch bros. and their ilk dont like Obamacare. Hence, neither does trump
4
Funny how Barr's son suddenly got a job with the Trump administration. This is so obviously quid pro quo, and yet the DT base is okay with this kind of corruption.
5
@Kate Campbell
Actually, it's his son-in-law. He's in WH counsel's office, specializing in Russian matters. Barr's daughter too: she's at the DOJ. These connections may strike some as small points, but it's hard to think AG will do anything to risk three livelihoods.
4
The words “rule of law” and “Trump administration” should never be used in the same sentence. And it appears that the entire Repugnantcan party is now just the imperial guard and have abandoned any legislative authority and are only there to rubber stamp Trump’s fiats. We are bring remade in the Soviet image more and more each day. Goodbye America...you were too busy tweeting and watching youtube to defend your democracy.
4
Everyone needs to ask if they want to live in a blue state or a red state- there fundamentally no longer exists a “United” States of America. New Jersey and New York and California will put in place adequate healthcare plans at the state level; if you are in Wyoming or Texas, you’ll get what you voted for.
3
“Repeal and replace” sounds a lot like “build a wall and Mexico will pay for it”.
3
I have tried to write a sensitive and measured comment about this short-sighted foolishness, but I am reduced to cussing by the second sentence.
446
@Hugh Connor
Trump really loves to inflict pain.
It makes him feel powerful.
He is a very very sick man.
57
@Hugh Connor, go ahead and cuss. Trump deserves every word.
30
@Hugh Connor I can be hard to parse senility from malice.
11
The GOP is guilty of sabotage.
First, they added over 150 amendments to the initial legislation, getting rid of former President Obama's public option alternative and turning this into Romneycare.
Then they all agreed to vote against it - even though this is what they did to change the legislation, with every amendment added as an argument for "bipartisanship".
They lied. And then they sabotaged the vote.
After that, the GOP took the funding that would ensure competitive rates in the market place from the provision that would guarantee the insurance companies a stable profit margin were they to take the risk and lower the premiums.
Then they got rid of the provision that Justice Roberts of the Supreme Court claimed had validity as a tax to guarantee more inclusive and cost-effective coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
Bear in mind that if not for their acts of sabotage, "Obamacare" (funny, but Obama proposed a public option, where is it) already went to the Supreme Court and was deemed constitutionally sound.
Legal logic? How can anyone call what the GOP is doing legal OR logical.
They are doing this to what end.
It is not to serve the people.
They are serving themselves only.
And they are corrupt, venal frauds.
9
Trump’s claim that the Republicans will be known as the party of health care has got to rank up there with Orwell’s “1984” slogans: War Is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength.
Wait a minute. That last one is Trump’s and the Republicans’ great hope, that our ignorance will be their strength.
8
The photo looks like a dentist’s office. Maybe an operating room would be more appropriate? Medicare doesn’t cover dentistry.
2
I almost hope they succeed. Let America see what the Republicans are all about.
4
See how quickly trump et al moved the media from focusing on the Barr report to something very controversial!
What are they covering up? Why did Rosenstein go along with Barr?
3
"Attorney General William Barr was supposed to be a voice of reason in the Trump administration...to protect the Justice Department from a White House that often seems to disdain the rule of law.
Turns out it isn’t so."
What a surprise...really?
When will the press, media and especially the Democrats and all other non-Republicans finally acknowledge that todays Republican Party is a radical one that is completely and slavishly obedient to Donald Trump?
Nothing, not decency, not patriotism, not honesty, not ethics, not morality and clearly not the constitution, the republic or the country matters more to Republicans than they do to the Dear Leader. Only he matters to them.
Try repeating this every time you read about another supposedly rational, reasonable Republican who will stand up to Trump's corruption: Trump IS the Republican Party and the Republican Party IS Trump, period.
4
It's frightening, one party enacts the law, the states get on board or not, then the other party takes over and manages to repeal the law, then the states begin to repeal the law and then it goes to court where it is again repealed, and on it goes. Who is in charge? Who actually makes laws that can stick?
4
This is something to be expected from a president whom who was chosen by (a minority) of American voters. Still,this election was legal under our constitution, (written by male slaveholders and landowners to maintain their hegemony). However, I have a strong feeling (based on Trump's history) that if the name Obamacare was changed to Trumpcare, he would be overjoyed and accept it. Let us try!
2
The Trump administration has gone off the rails in so many areas, but this one specific HC area is likely to be the undoing of not only Trump but the GOP majority in the Senate.
No reasonable person running for national office can credibly run on the premise that the nations' HC system should be tossed overboard without a fully-developed alternative standing by. And since the GOP has had a full 10-years now to come up with an alternative approach - and come up empty handed - the US Voters should hold the GOP in contempt and vote them out across the board.
4
The Republican Party, as an institution, has become a danger to the rule of law and the integrity of our democracy.
The problem is not just Donald Trump; it’s the larger conservative political apparatus that made a conscious decision to collaborate with him.
5
Rule of law? Don't make me laugh. There has always been one law for the rich and one for the poor, one for the white and one for the black. Look at who gets represented by a high-priced attorney and who gets an overworked public defender with exactly 15 minutes to spend on the case. Look at the arrest disparities and sentencing disparities.
My Daddy always used to say, "Possession is 9/10ths of the law." Which I understood to mean, them that possesses gets 9/10ths of the law in their favor.
2
Barr has become totally suspect in brief 35 days. He has sullied the independent image of the Justice Department by his Mueller memo and this latest health step> He must be the next Trump appointee to resign.
3
I agree with a lot of you, this is ALL about revenge. Trump has been emboldened to continue to be as spiteful as he can and punish his enemies. Heaven help us now!!
7
I have often wondered how the orange trumpet’s supporters blindly follow this pied piper of openly public lies and utter disregard for the lives of 95% of Americans. But, this latest of travesties, in direct contradiction of his promises, will devastate the health of millions of Americas, both red and blue. It will also affect our entire medical community, the doctors and nurses and support staff who provide the care for the health of our population.
There is no rational explanation for this willful disregard for the health of our citizens other than petty, narcissistic tantrum but what is even more frightening is that his fellow Republicans are going along with it!
It is time to actively join forces to do whatever we can to kick out of office these miscreants of selfish disdain and total lack of understanding of our constitutional construct of equal rights for all.
We need to start now and work aggressively right up to the 2020 elections to make sure these poor excuses in political office get pushed out the door for failure to fulfill their duty to our citizens.
Please, become involved and help to stop this rising tide of oligarchy.
3
Republicans want to trash O'Care because it gives votes to the the Democrats. Trump wants it gone because he hates Obama.
Trump, the bully, the anti-intellectual, the in-it-for-himself guy...all he wants is his way. He wants to win. He wants what's only good for him. His hate is shared by his base who will pay any price in tax increases, who will believe any story about their personal security, who will vote against their own interests because they'll do anything, unwittingly or otherwise, to never again have a leader who doesn't look like, love like or pray like them. This is a polite way of saying they (his base) will never look at an issue critically and with the required data.
Trump's base are full of fear and hate and are incapable of understanding why.
2
I guess this time they have secret plan as to what to replace it with.
2
Democrats couldn’t have asked for anything more.
The day after the Mueller report is released and shown to be a big nothing, they decide that’s a good time to eviscerate the ACA with nothing to replace it.
How many times do we have to say how politically inept this administration is?
2
There is no Rule of Law in the USA. There is the Rule of Money which is the only rule Republicans will follow.
5
Please do not use the words "Trump" and "rule of law" in the same sentence without extensive qualifiers.
2
This latest knee jerk stab at governing is yet another example of this President's instability. Dismantling ACA without any plan or replacement is reckless. We as a nation are being subjected to erratic mood swings by an elected dictator. He is relentless in his lies upon lies. His responses on camera are imbecilic. Limited vocabulary, repetitive phrases. Astounding the lengths the GOP will go in support of this dumbed down President out of fear of their own viability. This latest attack on the ACA is a scorched earth reaction to alarm over the Mueller report going public. Zealous victory laps over a carefully constructed recap from the AG, a hand picked political appointee. Every aspect of this is fraudulent. Chanting "No collusion, no obstruction of justice." Still, we are an educated public with a free press (no thanks to the current administration). We know that this President fired James Comey, that he wrote a false statement regarding the meeting with the Russians, that he, his family, and administration have lied. We know people around him have been indicted. Authorization for Grand jury is based on an abundance of evidence. Multiple investigations continue. The Mueller report will become public and we are depending on the genius of our founding fathers that Congress holds oversight over the Executive branch of government. We are depending on the intelligence of the electorate to vote their conscience to preserve our democracy.
2
Does anybody have any insight into how Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein would have handled these two issues, if William Barr had not become Attorney General?
1
Trump - still endorsed by the KKK's official newspaper, but the other newspaper (the National Enquirer) of the two that endorsed him in 2016, has dropped out.
I guess he won't be happy until his fans at his rallies are going to cheer him and give him a standing ovation after he proposes selling body parts of poor people for transplant procedures on the wealthy.
1
Nice try...
From here on in – since Bloomberg been waved out of the race – going with NYC billionaire plan B...
PS
Dean/AG...
You do realize that you're helping Trump to a 2nd term...
And that I realize that you realize that's the best thing for digital NYT subscriptions than can happen over the next couple of years...
1
"In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly."
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
3
In short: Health Insurance industry is reaping profits of citizen's misery: and this data is from the White House itself:
1) From 2016 and 2017 Premiums were greater by 25% than the Claims...
2) Even since ACA, the HI outpaced S&P500 2x YoY... actually 'hockey-sticking' 3x since 2016...
3) Average large HI corp CEO's compensation is $25M /year - as high as $85M
So, under Trump - the HI fat cats got fatter - while our premiums soared, and their profits soared...
At the same time, half of the country believes that it will be better without ACA, and that deregulation will normalize this. Really? How stupid.
The profits and CEOs' compensation will rise, because the claims will drop (by denying them).
And this cannot be regulated because of our constitution? Is this really what most people want: to keep paying more AND getting less?
Shame on HI and their management. And shame on Trump. And shame on McConnel's gang. For stealing our money!
1
The Republican party and President Trump have shown us they truly are the party of little men with small ideas who believe in white power. If Obama has anything to do with a position, it must be stopped and destroyed. If a position benefits anyone non-white it must be stopped and destroyed. These racist power grabbers have always been here but it's only in the last 10 years the white power billionaires have put up the money to enforce their will. We need to defang these snakes tightening their grip around the heart of America. The Republican party must be stomped into the dust at the next election.
Trump certainly got his Roy Cohn when he picked William Barr for the Attorney General. He is Trump's puppet and will do whatever whim occurs to Trump on any given day. It's deplorable to hurt senior citizens with cuts to Medicare and millions of others if Obamacare is ended. Republicans have no respect for the sanctity of life unless it's the unborn.
2
Healthcare may well be Trump's Achille's heel. He wants to payback campaign contributors so badly that he'll do anything to kill Obamacare. He was so humiliated by Obama that like a little child, he wants to erase Barack's name from the land.
Twenty million people may lose their healthcare, maybe more.
Someone must have told The Donald that they were from "blue" states. They weren't going to vote for him anyway, so, let 'em die.
1
The NYT insists on mischaracterizing the Justice Department's position and letter.
They are simply saying they concur with the lower court decisions.
They are not affirmatively seeking to change any laws or decisions.
I do not think that any of these Trumpian policies reside in the reasons most people ascribe to him. Why don't you assume simply that he wants a commission for his labors. He likely wants at least $2 billions per project. He will not get involved in policies which will not supply him with less than a billion dollars.
The GOP is basically controlled by the Koch brothers and their ilk.
They are radical libertarians. The very idea that they are taxed to support a government program that delivers healthcare to others who cannot fully or partially afford it, is on par with being robbed at gunpoint and having one's cash taken away. To them, there is no distinction.
They demand that legislators see things the same way. They have the means to support a primary opponent against those that don't and they let you know in uncertain terms that if they are crossed, you can kiss you career goodbye.
While Trump cares less about a long career in government, he could not care less about healthcare for citizens, and he sees less of a political downside to dismantling Obamacare than an upside.
The upside being finding common purpose with the Koch's, their billions, and the GOP moving forward.
3
He certainly stepped in it. Thanks, Trump, for helping further define THE fight of 2020. If the Dems are serious about winning they'll focus on healthcare and run someone who appeals to independents and suburban women. (Bernie isn't a Dem, does nothing for the party, and won't win against Trump.) Anyone who can be labeled a Socialist or - whether accurate or not- will not win. That's reality. Some may sit out the election if a more moderate candidate runs, but they'll gain than they lose. As a party the Dems need to save the more aggressive ideas like the Green New Deal for another election. Let healthcare and the promise of repairing our government be the selling points.
6
@Topher S Just curious, if not Bernie who. BTW Bernie’s values were what Democrats used to be about, now they are just as beholden to Wall Street and Special interests as Republicans, if you don’t believe me check the statistics on who Goldman and their ilk back, the answer is both. Biden has too much baggage not unlike Clinton, and Pelosi was giving speeches before AIPAC this week. Warren would have been the obvious choice until she went with the party declaration of its Hillaries turn. We Essentially have a one party system with both sides merely opposite sides of the same coin. Republicans run by rich conservatives, Democrats by rich neo liberals, an unholy alliance manifesting itself as example by Trumps decisions involving Israel and taxes there’s something for the elites of both parties. If we can’t run with Bernie and a fresh young face we will surely lose.
2
One thing about America that really separates us from other civilized countries is our worship of personal independence. There is a strong desire in many Americans to not be seen as dependent on others. This makes us susceptible to politicians who play on our fear of being used by people who are dependent. European countries don't seem to fear appearing dependent. The truth of course, is that we are, and in many ways. Rich people are dependent on the sons and daughters of not-rich people to go to war and protect their way of life and be maimed and killed in doing so. Not-rich people depend on the rich to help the poor and sick by sharing some of their wealth. Many Americans hate the thought of being dependent on others, and unfortunately, they resent those who are in fact dependent on others. Thus greedy politicians come to power from time to time, and bring "great" shame to the country they would make great again.
4
@Michael
Unfortunately, it would seem Americans have a rather strange idea as to what "personal independence" actually means and how ultimately it affects society. The fact that inequality in America is the worst of any western industrialized nation and while America has 4% of the world's population, yet, 25% of the total number of people occupying jail cells(the highest number in the world of any nation), it would seem this "lack" of any concern for ones fellow citizen, has really been, to say the least, a disaster.
I would suggest to those who continue to preach this outmoded "pull up your own bootstraps" philosophy is look to the WH, where a man who inherited all his money, declared bankruptcy multiple times while extracting hundreds of millions of dollars from hard earned tax payers is hardly an example of personal independence and non-reliance on others for whatever he may or may not have accomplished in his life.
1
Part of being independent is collectively keeping the people that want to do us harm behind bars where they cannot hurt us.
@Michael Blazin
Half of those in jail whom are categorized as "non-violent" offenders who were caught smoking marijuana all done for the benefit of the private jail industry of which you are paying billions out of your pocket, hardly anyone else's "sane" idea of independence.
1
The Donald (I can't bear to call him anything else) sees this move as the antithesis to Brown vs. The Board, Roe vs. Wade, Lawrence vs. Texas, and the same-sex marriage ruling. The difference is that it takes away people's right to health care rather than giving them rights such as integration, abortion, sexual activity, and marriage. This comparison is a stretch, but it's not so different from the right-wing renaming of French fries "freedom fries" on the congressional cafeteria menu. That's just how dopey and uneducated those people and their constituents are.
6
As Trump admitted, the 'plan' is to bounce controversial issues through the lower courts til they get to The Supremes where Trump thinks he'll win. And he probably will.
6
Consider, "The judge reasoned that Congress created a constitutional problem when, in its big tax reform bill in 2017, it eliminated the financial penalty for going without insurance."
Would it be possible to have the "courts" declare the inclusion of financial penalty for going without insurance in a TAX bill as unconstitutional - problem solved. DJM
1
Yet another reason we should move toward some form of proper universal healthcare, whether on the German model, the Canadian model or the UK model--or perhaps some version of our own.
We cannot keep bringing this instability to hundreds of millions of Americans.
7
@Jacob Sommer
Then, once and for all, start electing people, not beholden to the lobbyists, who will actually do something about it !
1
I often wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety about losing the insurance I get through the ACA. If not for the subsidies, though, I would not be able to afford it. I work freelance and rely on non-employer-based insurance. As a woman in my 50s with a rare genetically-based tumor condition, if I didn't have California's version of Obamacare with a subsidy, my life would quite literally be in danger. What kind of a country do we live in? One that cares about its citizens or not?
24
After ten plus years of the ACA the GOP has not and will not come up with a better replacement plan. Now that they have their authoritarian revengeful leader who has been committed from day one to seek and destroy everything that President Obama achieved, they are free to show their true feelings. Which of course are:
1. if you can’t afford to pay for your own health care than that’s just to bad.
2. We believe in the free enterprise system for everything and Insurance companies and their CEOs deserve to make as much money as possible.
Of course we the majority of Americans can rectify this destruction that the GOP’s policies will continue to bestow on our country. In November 2020 we who care enough to vote can throw them out of office along with the guy in the White House.
10
Aw, give credit where credit is due. Mitch McConnell is the originator of the drive to undo any and every Obama initiative whether it is beneficial or not. Who cares about our nation's best interests; if it's connected to Obama, destroy it!
1
You know who will have uninsurable pre-existing conditions? Anyone over 50 and under 65.
16
@Michelle Llyn it is way more than that. Child with asthma? check. Child broke a leg? check. Child in a car accident? Check
2
If the people who need the ACA most refuse to stand up and fight for it, and in fact take actions that directly threaten it, why should I care anymore? Clearly they know what they want so let them have it. Maybe a little pain is what they need to wake them up.
8
William Barr may have done the Democrats a huge favor by taking the Mueller Report off the table (at least for the time being). Maybe now those who have been defending Trump may listen more carefully to his ideas and actions such as his renewed attack on the Affordable Care Act. Is it possible that Trump is willing to have 123 million Americans lose their healthcare in order to get back at John McCain? Recent statements made by Trump about McCain are all too close in time to his recent announcement on the ACA.
6
Any person who benefits from the Affordable Care Act and votes for Donald Trump in a sense gets what they deserve, even people like the coal miners that support Trump who have lung ailments and get benefits under the ACA. These benefits are gone if Trump gets his way. The problem is that supporters of the ACA have never framed the discussion clearly. Most persons who rely on the ACA and are Trump supporters don't even realize that Obama Care is the ACA. You need to drive this point home each and every time.
11
@T. Cloz - " even people like the coal miners that support Trump who have lung ailments and get benefits under the ACA."
Also keep in mind that the Administration has taken many steps to support coal company owners, while making it worse for the workers. Lowered pollution restrictions, reduced safety regulations.
Oh, and the coal companies who all went into bankruptcy dumped their pension and healthcare obligations onto the US taxpayers, too. Well, not the wealthiest taxpayers, you know. Not ones who donated hundreds of thousands to the inauguration fund and then handed over a list of things for the now-bought administration to do for the coal owners. That list is now pretty much all completed, but doesn't help the miners.
16
Finally. It's very much past time to listen to historians
who have noted increasingly the same old takeover patterns so well demonstrated by Trump every day now.
Start with the easy ones known so well in history. There's
that now well entrenched
practice of naming only "assistants" to government jobs,
even the top jobs. Well known and easy to see in history if
you look and easy to see now if someone will look.
1
No one should be surprised that Barr, a GOP AG appointed by a GOP president, is contemptuous of the law and the good of the country and the people in it. Every AG appointed by a GOP president from Nixon onward (with the possible exception of Ford, because I cannot remember who was his AG) has behaved the same way. John Mitchell went to prison. Unfortunately, the other GOP AGs have not.
People keep seeing Trump as unique and authoritarian. No, he is simply the culmination of the GOP since Nixon: an authoritarian and downright dishonest, sometimes criminal, political party.
9
I have made my plans:
1. I will not get sick
2. I bought a long term care policy
3. I bought a small cemetery plot
4. There is plenty of good whiskey in the house
5. I joined a new gym and went in a new diet.
11
@Bruce Egert
1. I will pretend I'm not a Type 1 Diabetic.
2. I will pretend that I don't have asthma.
3. I'll convince myself that if I just go to Trump rallies, my pre-existing conditions won't matter.
Because as far as Trump and his followers are concerned, they don't.
26
Don’t credit Trump with this strategy. This is conceived by staff in the White House that feel nice and cozy with their federal health insurance. Congressional legislators are also covered by federal health insurance so one can conclude these people live in a bubble with no idea and no concern over the heartbreaking issues that average Americans face in the health care industry.
It seems the mantra these days is destroy and don’t replace.
14
I’m not sure about other Americans but I for one am sick of the constant attacking of the other party while the actual business of getting anything done languishes. With respect to our current health care debacle you can blame a Democrat turned Independent for that Joe Lieberman, he was the one who cast the vote killing single payer, he did this of course to appease his mega donors in insurance in his home state. The ACA was an ill conceived bill from day one that with the exception of the part about preexisting conditions, was written by and for the benefits of big insurance. Bernie is the only one that speaks the truth, private insurance must go to make our system efficient and affordable, as long as private insurance is involved they will continue to rake off huge sums that should be spent on care not bonuses for CEOs. An article in today’s Times concerning yet another merger of mega insurance companies in my mind makes all this arguing moot: a giant like Centene isn’t shelling out $15,000,000,000.00 for another carrier to control government healthcare if they thought there was any chance of single payer run by the government and funded by taxes. What these articles to is allow each party to take turns bloviating for the sake of there constitutes while absolutely nothing changes: they will huff and puff but in the end we will still be stuck with the worst, most expensive healthcare system in the developed world.
9
Didn't the Obama administration argue that the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional? How is that different from what Barr is doing with the ACA?
That's not to say that Barr's shift of the administration's posture on the ACA is not despicable and potentially disastrous for the entire nation, or that the Defense of Marriage Act was constitutional and not grotesquely discriminatory legislation. But this is not the first time an administration has refused to defend an act of Congress.
5
@Bill
Didn't Justice Roberts make a decision on the Affordable CAre Act?
Didn't the Supreme Court also decide that DOMA was unconstitutional
As far as I'm concerned, the GOP is guilty of sabotage.
That includes Barr who is a co-conspirator.
1
@Bill
You do realize this went all the way to the Supreme Court and that Chief Justice Roberts wrote the majority opinion FOR the Affordable Care Act, right?
Why don't you stop arguing that your anti-Obama pundits are somehow smarter than Chief Justice Roberts.
Or as smart as someone who has actually seen the acts of sabotage and the destructive antics being played out by the Republican party.
They're endangering lives. Didn't the GOP understand that sabotage is illegal?
1
Let's say the court agreed with the administration and the Obamacare was struck down. Given the political divide in congress what, if anything, would take its place? This would, of necessity, become the overwhelming issue for voters in 2020 and not necessarily to Mr. Trump's benefit.
2
@Want2know
Maybe the Federal Government should keep out of the health care of the vast majority of Americans catering to the most impoverished and those with extreme conditions.
By the way, what enumerated powers are intended to allow the Federal Government to spend and legislate relative to our everyday healthcare? Remember t
Amendment X takes away ever power away from the Federal Government that the constitution does not delegate to it."The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
FDR's depression era Supreme court rejected what the Father of the Constitution James Madison told us about the general welfare clause being constrained to enumerated power. But what would the Father of the Constitution and drafter of the Bill of Rights know about what his Constitution said as he explained in the Federalist Papers before the Constitution was ratified.
A lot of comments here about Trump's personality and motivations, but let's not overlook the point of the article.
Part of the DOJ's task is to defend the laws. Under the direction of William Barr, it has taken an extreme turn from defending legislation to trying to defeat laws that the president does not. There is no one advocating upholding the law. That is a HUGE step away from the notion that the Attorney General works for the people, not for the president, and it extraordinarily threatening to a continued democracy.
15
From the conservatives' perspective, this follows the same logic as abstinence vs. birth control. To them, what works empirically doesn't matter as much as what's idealistic by doctrine.
2
Great article, thanks. Trump and his enablers have no use for law as such, unless of course they can weaponize it to get back at someone or ride it into further control.
Health care for them is nothing if it is not part of the capitalist economy. What the Trumpistas hate about the ACA and any care system is any aspect that is not centered on the profit potential. I also think health-for-the-masses is antithetical to new Republican thinking. The New GOP likes great health care -- for themselves.
However, this is probably only secondary thinking for Trump. He hates the ACA for two personal reasons now: McCain and of course, Obama. Principled people who were highly regarded in a way he knows is not available to himself. He's stuck with his base, the same people who would follow any authoritarian minor celeb, regardless of who he shoots on 5th Ave. He struggles with one cheap assault after another, struggling against the reality that even with the awesome potential of a world leader, he cannot break through into the realm of the honorable.
3
Life expectancy in this country is ranked at 34th place and healthcare spending is 2.5 x compared to other developed countries. So to what level would Mr.Trump and his followers like to dial back to? We are already pretty much at the bottom - for average Americans. The <1% class is of course doing much better and that seems to be the only thing that counts here. Trump and the GOP have no alternative plan anyhow...
3
It is also important to hammer home the point that it is not only the poor on Medicaid or those on the individual markets that will be hurt. It will also affect the majority who are on their employer's health insurance as stated in the op/ed. But it's not just the pre-existing condition coverage that will be lost. As, or even more important, are the protections in the ACA against yearly and lifetime limits. Lose those protections and one serious bout with treatable cancer and you're bankrupt. Think about that, comfortable, middle class Americans.
26
It's just money. Always money. Anything to prevent rich people from maintaining the society that's allowed them to get rich.
Don't look too much into this as a revenge-against-Obama thing. Trump might have that stone in his shoe. But every action Republicans have taken on the Federal level in the past 40 years is fundamentally and essentially about one thing: helping the rich get richer.
24
SO this author who wants Trump to follow the law is upset that the courts may find the ACA unconstitutional?
America does need a better system but the ACA was delivered based on incorrect information about what it would offer. Nearly all the claims made by Obama about the ACA and how good it will be were wrong.
2
@Mr Chang Shih An
Except that you forgot about the fact that (a) the initial proposal had over 150 GOP amendments added; and (b) initially former President Obama had included a public option that we could have chosen.
As a Type 1 Diabetic, I certainly would have chosen it, and I bet my employer would have been happy to have chosen it as well.
But you keep claiming that "America" is what is sitting around in Trump rallies.
When in reality, most Americans did not vote for him.
15
@Mr Chang Shih An: So, get the Republican Congress to fix the things in the ACA that you object to make it a good system instead of repealing it with nothing to replace it. Republicans seem to be only able to destroy, not build.
11
@Mr Chang Shih An- the ACA as a reform measure was a major step forward over the previous system that industry itself had already admitted many times was unsustainable and would have gone insolvent within a decade. What you claim is entirely untrue and shows an incredible or even wilful ignorance on the subject.
5
That the president of the United States acts on the premise that the job is to use the powers of the office to make personal attacks on President Obama and whoever makes him feel bad) with no regard for anything except his personal feelings of envy and his lack of self worth is telling, but that is basically no different than any other “trump policy. ”
There are no US policies, only a “make trump feel good” agenda which is enthusiastically supported by Congressional Republicans who are afraid to stand against trump because, as stated by McConnell, they are politicians whose main concern is their own re-election, an election which they believe they would lose if trump tweets not nice about them.
Its the same for trump’s political support. trump uses the office of president not for the good of the people of the United States but to pit American against American, not about different approaches and opinions on political issues but increasingly pushing that the side against trump is unAmerican, is the cause of the problems of trump supporters and those people need to be removed by any means necessary.
And those who work in the trump administration all have learned and recognized that their job is to support trump, not the United States of America or the American people.
And besides, low income people losing health care and dying increases the GDP, consistent with the trump position that human life is expendable for the agenda of increasing US GDP
14
Such a losing strategy. Who wants this? It’s like Brexit, some idealogical concept that it turns out no one really wanted or knows what to do with.
We need to fix our current healthcare system, not destroy it.
Please do the right thing, lawmakers.
15
Since what’s best for citizens, about 23 million in the case of terminating the ACA without an alternative, doesn’t seem to be the objective. The objective of this president and agendas of his accomplices does seem to be to obliterate any trace of the ethnically incompatible former president no matter how many citizens it hurts.
9
Trump wants to take away people's health care? Who IS this guy and why is he the President of the United States?
19
It's a big power trip for Trump. He has an adolescent mind and his manners reflect that. He got a big lift after Mueller's report was portrayed by his loyal AG and like a kid, feels emboldened and goes after the ACA (again). Really dumb.
16
Repubs are usually slicker about milking a story line, but they just pulled the rug out from under the Barr Report with this ham-handed meat-toss to the base. If the Dems can be slicker than usual about playing this hand.
4
I wonder how happy all the boot licking Republicans will be when Trump finally takes dictatorship control of the country after they did absolutely nothing to stop him.
15
My silly friend Trump believes he is the law and the State. Sadly a majority of the Senate buys into his imperial interpretation of the office. His followers don't refer to him as God Emperor and their god anointed Savior for nothing. It is up to democrats to uphold democracy now under serious siege.
14
The Trump administration calls that Justice?
I call it manslaughter.
12
Jimmy Carter wanted affordable health care for all. That was the late 70's. Teddy Kennedy who had aspired to be POTUS helped to kill that bill because he wanted HIS name on it not Carter's.
I blame all politicians in DC. for the mess and outrageous prices lower and middle class Americans have to pay.
Trump isn't the first criminal we've has as POTUS and he certainly won't be the last.
1
@Hal Don't blame the politicians. Blame the people who voted for them or didn't vote at all.
If Trump and the Republicans get their way, the "average" American will be one emergency appendectomy away from personal bankruptcy.
16
Look, this is for the best. The GOP has a really super good better health care plan if you'd bother to take a look at it. It's just down there by the corner, at the end of this industrial alleyway. I got a good deal on some dresses as well so pick some of those out too. For your mother. Don't worry. Don't worry. It's right in there.
11
great scene.@Albert Ross
@Albert Ross BRILLIANT reference to Goodfellas! So appropriate.
@AnnaK
It's pretty easy to make a reference to that scene when the promised GOP health care plan was shuttled around from location to location and nobody was allowed to see it and it turned out to be nothing.
If I can take any credit it's for remembering this particular outrage from the stupifyingly incredible torrent of outrageous nonsense that these made guys have managed to weaponize.
1
the chance that an obamacare like health care system will not be operating if aca is overturned is next to zero, trump is already asking other republicans to develop a health care system alternative to obama care if ACA is struct down. Perhaps there are legal technicalities that make aca untenable, and that is what DOJ is addressing. The judge in Texas seems to think so
@sh Such talk is pure fantasy. Just what legislature that benefited anyone but the rich did the Administration and the Republican Congress put into place in the first two years of their absolute control of the government. NONE. BTW the reason that the lawsuit is before this judge is that he was picked by the Trump Administration for his anti ACA views.
2
You think Trump has a Plan, and Republicans have figured out a plan of their own. After a decade in which they’ve promised this and never lifted a finger.
While you’ve still got benefits—and I guarantee that you’re on government benefits—you need to think about having a head scan done.
1
@sh And there's a politician in Texas who thinks that measles can be cured with antibiotics. There are wingnuts everywhere in Texas, including the judicial system.
1
Forget impeachment. Hammer the Republicans on this issue. Propose a phased in Medicare For All plan. Allow anyone 50 and over to buy in to Medicare immediately and slowly lower that age over the years until anyone over 21 can buy in. Let employees of companies choose between staying with their employer provided health plan or switching to Medicare. I suspect many will switch as the years go by.
Hammer the Republicans relentlessly that they are taking away health care from millions. No mercy.
14
Here’s a thought: try listening to other people, and not blowing a great political opportunity by demanding a program you ain’t gonna get. Oh, and maybe stop attacking your own side.
This is another example of where so many of Trump's supporters will be actively harmed by his policies- in this case the issues surround life and death.
Perhaps the lesson to be learned here is than in an age of divisive and toxic politics- gradualism in health reform must give way to bold policy that simply asserts that every American has a basic and unalterable right to adequate health care- regardless of circumstance, health or income. Medicare for All seems the most straightforward way to achieve this.
7
I think Bill Barr should be removed from his position. It's bad enough that he gave Trump a total pass from Mueller's works.
I don't know what's up with Barr but along with Mitch and Lindsey. The assault on health care is unconscionable. When a 20 minute routine visit can cost $400 let alone a serious visit.
I think Congress and Administration members should be on their own for insurance.
13
Democrats could not have asked for a better gift ahead of the 2020 elections. Thank you DOJ!
5
What's most pathetic about Trump and his fans' nonsensical disdain for healthcare reform is that they hate it mainly because the term for it is "Obamacare" - when in reality the Republicans haggled over the formation of "Obamacare" and added over 150 amendments to it and turned it into Romneycare, really...
... and then they all agreed with one another to vote against it and add some very overdone histrionics to their anti-"Obamacare" rhetoric to add insult to injury.
In reality - as in reality and as opposed to GOPBS - former President Obama proposed a public option be added.
I know, oh, moan groan have a fit - it might raise the deficit by 2 trillion dollars in 20 years according to Republican party calculations.
Except that it wouldn't.
The person who just added 2 trillion dollars to our deficit did that in less than 2 years, and his name is Trump.
So tired of their one-act play. It's so bad at this point that it literally destroys lives.
14
Let us not forget that they also want to cut billions more from Medicare and make the elderly pay for preventive care for diabetes and other services to pay for their monstrous tax cut on the backs of sick and elderly. Everyone who went to the doctor in the last 9 years and found out they had a pre-existing condition, will find they are no longer covered... back to the emergency rooms and bankruptcy for millions of people.
Their greed and callousness is appalling! Get loud, people! Find the energy to stand up once again, because we have to!
2
Looks like trump got his Roy Cohn after all.
16
Time to impeach!!!
8
The days of our republic may now numbered. If we are unable to rid ourselves of a shameless and corrupt demagogue, the American experiment in representational democracy may die.
It will die with a whimper, not a bang, after decades of economic equality created by the willing exploitation of a U.S. working class hoodwinked by appeals to their worst impulses.
Donald Trump is the ugly intersection of country club greed and blue collar ignorance. The Republicans finally found the formula they sought to create the Banana Republic that has always been their dream.
19
If trump could manage it, he would erase President Obama from history. Trump is so petty, so insecure that he cannot stand having anything championed by President Obama survive, particularly a well liked program.
He is a vindictive man, trump. He does not care who he hurts, or the repercussions, it just has to be about him. I see very little difference between trump destroying ACA and ISIS blowing up historic sites in Syria. Neither can stand to have any gods but themselves.
12
@rslay
So true. And I sense that Trump actually takes pleasure, glee, in making people suffer. It makes him feel important, powerful, smart. To me, that is a truely ugly way to live.
2
It is hard for the reputation of lawyers to go lower, but Barr is making it so.
"Mr. Bagley is a professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School.'
Is being a Professor of Law, a respectable position?
2
"But the failure to defend the Affordable Care Act is an ominous sign to anyone who cares about the rule of law."
That excludes just about everyone in the Trump Administration.
6
Count me among those millions terrified at losing health coverage for our family. This keeps me up at night and is hurting my health.
15
Call me cynical, but I'm wondering what POTUS is doing in the background, things that have already played out in the news with no result, such as:
Continued separation of migrant children from their parents at the border. Gunmen shooting people at will in public places, without any gun laws protecting us. Our atmosphere and the earth suffering because of relaxed environmental laws and withdrawal from Paris Treaty. Russia moving troops into Venezuela. (What's happening in the Ukraine?) Drastic cuts proposed to social security, Medicare, other social programs. Our education system choking from state, local and federal budget cuts and charter schools. These are only a sampling!
Headlines are taken up with the latest outrageous Trump initiative, but there is no time even to discuss or figure out what to do, with another outrage in the offing.
Now, the latest - Obamacare barely saved by Congress, only to be threatened again by Trump decree.
The most I can do is cast my vote, which, through gerrymandering and the outdated electoral college, counts less than it should.
I am afraid to read the news.
15
If Trump and the GOP are not voted out of office in 2020, this country is done, plain and simple.
18
He can't help himself. When Trump hears the words "rule of law", he automatically sees it as an obstacle to be treated with contempt and circumvented by any means necessary...
9
What's in a name: People in Kentucky love their Kynect (created by the ACA, otherwise known as Obama Care). However, when asked if they like Obama Care they will say how terrible that is.
Democrats need to frame the argument for the ACA in a way that
divorces it entirely from the Obama Care label. It is clear that the American people want health care. They just need to be reassured that it's not a socialist plot to destroy America.
437
@Penner
Or connected to a president who was the wrong color and whose place of birth is suspect to many, thanks to "birtherism" promoted by that "truth teller" Donald Trump!
125
@Penner yes this is good advice but on the other hand for me personally it is to the point of if you are too stupid / apathetic / ignorant / far gone / deplorable /etc to tell the difference or know what the hell these names even mean, then maybe you *should* lose your healthcare and let the rest of us who have common sense and American values pull up stakes and be done with you.... ?!?!?!
35
@Penner I totally disagree with you on the need to continue the delusion -- how else will people realize that they were wrong in going against their own interests by demonizing Obama care? How else will they be forcede to realize the dangers of listening to demagogues spreading
false information (remember the "death panels scare")?
How else can we help them become mature and responsible citizens in evaluating political choices? Certainly not by infantilizing them and disguising the truth: e.g. If you like the ACA, Kynect, or whatever Obamacare is called in your state admit it, defend it and learn that you were manipulated by your own bigotry i and ignorance nto believing a falsehood. Period. don't fall into the trap depicted in Ken andersen's brilliant expose of the American mentality in "Fantasyland: How America went Haywire". I admit it though, perhaps I'm overestimating the intelligence and ability to change of the average votes. But we have to start somewhere.
41
What's at the core of this is the fact that Obama was voted the Most Admired Man in the World for the eleventh year running, by extensive Gallup Polling.
Trump and the republicans can't stand this fact, and think they can erase it from history.
9
The release of the Mueller Report has now emboldened the Trump Administration to tackle high priority ideological policies. The perception is that there are few obstacles now on the horizon from fully dismantling social safety net programs. In part, this is just further political payback for the Mueller investigation.
2
Another round of Trump ACA Take Down. Obviously the President with the aid of Barr was clearly emboldened by the Muller report outcome — no collusion and a dodge the bullet pronouncement on obstruction.
This accompanied by the signature Trumpian braggadocio — this time the gleeful assertion that Trump Care is coming and it will be amazing and you will love it. Trump being wacky in the weeds — America’s new normal.
So what if the last six years had been spent making some saner version of the ACA the gold standard of healthcare instead of the battered and convoluted target of choice for the GOP?
Underlying it all is the chronic partisan dysfunction (both Red and Blue) of a Congress in the tight grip of the privileged special interests and political fortunes taking absolute precedent over We the People.
4
Let us not be disingenuous. If I remember correctly, the Obama administration -- to its credit -- declined to defend DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act), which resulted in non-administration conservative parties presenting the defense. I do not recall any editorial in the NYTimes excoriating the Obama administration for declining to defend that particular federal statute.
This is politics, so let's not be naive or self-righteous. Obama's administration did the right thing, I believe, and Trump's administration is, I believe, doing the wrong thing, but that's because of the substance of the legislation at issue and not because of this or that administration's choice of what to defend and what not to defend.
3
there was a big difference though: supreme court rulings had already made DOMA clearly unconstitutional and indefensible.
trump DOJ’s, on the other hand, is not just refusing to defend ACÁ, it is actively engaged in overturning it.
8
Part of President Obama's legacy will be written in the annals of history as our first black president, a man of principled character who worked tirelessly for the good of each and every American, especially in his hallmark program of healthcare.
FDR's hallmark program for social security was initially opposed and put through countless changes and ramifications. It remains however to this day an integral social benefit for all Americans. No matter how Trump and the Republicans may try to erase parts or all of the Affordable Care Act, it will always be considered a historical piece of legislation which opened up the beginnings of discussion on universal healthcare in this country's. The day will come when the ACA in part will be like FDR's Social Security, an undeniable right of each and every American.
Despite all efforts by Trump to spitefully deny Obama his rightful place in history, he will never succeed. Obama Care already carries the name of Barack H. Obama not Donald J. Trump's nor that of any other future president. The genesis of a serious healthcare reform debate in this country will always be part of President Obama's legacy. A day in the future may come when we could never imagine living without the benefits of the ACA (in whatever iteration the act may take by this and future administrations), just as we cannot do today with the social security benefits we enjoy today. Thank you President Barack Obama for caring enough to get the process started.
9
What alarms me is that Democrats, upon regaining control of the House, have squandered their efforts on witch hunts rather than to address repairing the damaged health-care system Obamacare did not fix.
If Democrats wish to govern, they must get down to the people's business.
3
@OldEngineer
What “witch hunts” are these? The Mueller investigation wasn’t something the Democrats did. They won the House in the mid-terms primarily on bread and butter concerns like healthcare and that will continue.
7
@OldEngineer
And whaaaaaa exactly is that whiney little-fingered orange Julius Ceasar, a/k/a Trump, doing to repair ANYTHING.
1
@OldEngineer
The Mueller investigation was initiated and run by self-proclaimed Republicans. And guess what? They nailed a bunch of witches (aka swamp creatures).
1
Not a winning move.
2
Barr is just another Trump lackey. Perhaps Trump provided Barr with escort service. We are witnessing a take over of the Constitution not unlike any dictator has done. It is about time for people to take to the streets in protest agains crimes against humanity by this disgusting president.
12
Trump's latest threat to the ACA, is just another example of his obsession to destroy anything tied to President Obama. I agree with someone who said, 'if President Obama had built the wall, Trump would be front and center shouting "tear down the wall". His hate and vindictiveness knows no bounds.
12
Trump, McConnell, Barr and the rest of the Republican junta seek nothing less than total control of the United States. The rule of law has no meaning to them. The only strategy they defend is nihilism-----the philosophy that in order to govern, it is necessary for them to lay waste to any laws or protections in place to defend human rights. Remember the words of Grover Norquist? The Republican right will never be satisfied until government is diminished to the point that it can more easily be drowned in the bathtub. We must all wake up, actively resist and expell these ideologues before our lives and liberties disappear down the drain.
7
Republican hubris. They actually believe any horrific policy can be repackaged and sold as a benefit to the American people. They have their own network to market their baloney, which means about a third of Americans will buy whatever they are selling. They only need a sliver of the low-information populace after that to get away with it.
What we have become.....
6
Without looking to defend this on the merits, isn't this very similar to the Obama Administration's refusal to defend DOMA?
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-attorney-general-litigation-involving-defense-marriage-act
@Bill
As a Type 1 Diabetic, I'd have to say no, and then ask what in the world is wrong with you.
2
@Bill
In my subjective opinion, no. Same sex marriage didn't hurt anyone. No one died, or lost their job when DOMA fell. Nothing bad happened by not defending DOMA.
I only say it's a subjective opinion because bible thumpers everywhere believe that same sex marriage is the worst possible thing that could happen to them.
4
Everything Trump touches turns to garbage and dies. Republicans were hesitant about destroying the ACA, fearful of the backlash, but with a President like Trump, leading the charge, on whom they will ultimately blame all of their failures they’ve lost that fear and all of their individual courage as well. Healthcare, however, takes a backseat and second place to the destruction of our democracy, kiddos.
Yesterday we saw an utterly gutless Congress unable to support their own Constitutional right to the power of the purse. You think these feckless flunkies care one iota about democracy and the rule of law? When the SC, obsessed as well by right wing ideology, gets this case on The Wall they will vote to uphold this despotic President because the Constitution grants a President the right to make such decisions AND because the Congress failed to assert their Constituional right!
This is what happens when people in charge wear intellectual blinkers, follow the money and the machinations of an empty-headed narcissist.The ability to reason is dead amongst Republicans, replaced by “free market” thinking in all spheres of human endeavor. Democracy will be dead soon as well, if it hasn’t already died in all but name.
4
Trumps should cuff of health care, while he's at it cut off all welfare. We have a lot of delusional people in the United States who think a lot of things don't affect or concern them until is does.
See what happens when folks are thrown out into the streets, no food stamps, no medic-aid, no assistance to pay winter heating bills, or fixing /replacing boilers, furnaces, or hot water tanks.
We are all going to see who's been on the public dole for decades. It won't be the usally suspects the Republican's have been lying on for decades. If the goverment shut-down was horrible to look at, wait to people don't have services they need to get by don't have nada. I give food banks 90 days before they run out of food. Then all hell will break loose.
4
Your second paragraph explains the problem completely. We have too many people receiving benefits paid for by others and they have come to demand their benefits regardless of the cost. The sense of entitlement is so ingrained that it has become a part of our DNA.
PLEASE! Use the actual name of the program; Affordable Care Act.
Trump wants to kill it for the sole reason that it is commonly called Obama Care!! His primary purpose in running for president was to wipe out every accomplishment of Obama's. The sooner we stop using that name to reference the act the better for the program itself.
4
@Linda R.
Very good point. Who says Obamacare anymore? Service providers call it a “marketplace plan.”
If republicans are going to force those of us with pre-existing conditions to drag our families into financial ruin in order to survive, the least they can do is support assisted suicide so I can die with dignity and spare my family.
10
GOP has resisted any reform to US health care for at least 26 years. They have NO solution to reducing costs, insuring more people, and achieving better results.
don the con said he would push for a plan that was better and cheaper.
neither the GOP nor the administration has done ANYTHING to increase access and bring down costs. period. the inaction and obstruction is inexcuseable
8
Hubris, plain and simple. They feel vindicated and energized by the interpretation the AG provided about the Mueller report and now they think they can do whatever they want. Democrats won the house over ACA and Americans will remember this in 2020. If he and his administration think that Americans support this they are wrong.
7
Yes! Exactly - we're confronting two major issues here - health care obviously, and the ACA impacts so many people, not just those who get their insurance because of it but people with pre-existing conditions, and of course seniors and others on Medicare - the law is part of the health care structure now - hospitals -
If the law is rescinded millions will suffer. There will be death toll and grave economic harm as well.
But the Trump Administration is after something else - it's clear Trump has contempt for the rule of law and for our democracy and our political system. Using "emergencies" and the Courts to subvert the business of the people through our legislatures is outrageous.
9
With this revenge driven individual's agenda to undo almost all of President Obama's achievements and try to become an American dictator, he is simply taking both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and starting a bonfire with our nation's founding principles. It's the worst administration to have ever have the keys to the executive branch.
Congress had better start to apply the emergency brakes now! There is far more damage that will come into our collective lives otherwise.
8
How can one expect trump to respect the Constitution when it is obvious that he has never even read it?
6
It is patently obvious that Donald Trump's only motivation (nay compulsion) for this is to destroy everything that Obama accomplished. God forbid a man of color be smarter, better and more successful than himself.
And of course because Obama is a Democrat this fits in with the Republican agenda.
3
Trump's "Victory Lap" after the meager Barr 'Report" rings so hollow it's revolting.
Trump is now on a revenge streak that is so ugly it desecrates the image and position of the Presidency.
He threatens those who questioned his veracity, threatens political pundits and investigators, the media and is going after U.S. citizens who depend on ACA for their well being.
Does this man and his cronies who support him have any compassion , any human qualities at all?
4
@mikeo26: Trump has the same level of compassion as a lizard or a snake. The parts of his brain that provide emotions such as compassion are broken.
we will lose our health care unless and untill the american people take to the streets. its the only way women got the vote, and the only way we got out of vietnam.
6
Not at all surprising considering that this overgrown child in the WH is such a vengeful creature that he is intent on destroying Obama's legacy, particularly now that the ACA has gained acceptance - more approval than Trump himself is getting! His pursuit of the presidency was born of his contempt for Obama, and his need to avenge Obama's joking at his expense at a WH Correspondent's dinner(?). Even if it hurts his political party, he wants to do whatever it takes to satisfy himself! That should also explain the so called national emergency to build his wall! He has got away with this behavior his entire life. Why change now?
2
Agree with every word. Hope author also thought Defense of Marriage act was owed a defense.
Yeah, but there was a strong argument that DOMA was unconstitutional. The current argument doesn't pass the smell test; it's a wonder it has gotten this far. And there's obviously no basis for DOJ to change its position on the elements of the ACA to which it did not until recently object.
Why would Trump and the republicans want to take health care away and cause untold hardships and death? Its like they are evil !
8
Barr's sudden decision to summarily outlaw Obamacare gives me even greater desire to see the entire Mueller report.
7
"But the Trump administration has signaled loud and clear that its campaign against Obamacare is not over..."
More and more, given the absurdity and irrationality of Trump's actions, it seems as if Trump is not interested in dismantling Obamacare, but Obama, a black man, his legacy, his work. This team of rabid white men -- from Trump to Pence to McConnell, to this new guy Bill Barr -- seem hellbent on destroying every single good thing Obama created. The TPP, Paris Climate Change agreement, Iran nuclear deal, the ACA, all under fire, and all, arguably, very sound, rational, appropriate, good policies. So what gives? Is this a hidden racism to dismantle the first black president's accomplishments? It sure feels that way. The Trump mission is to seed the often hidden (often not) racism of his red state base by attacking literally EVERYTHING Obama touched. Someone please tell me otherwise. How else do you explain the irrational, downright stupid destruction of very good policies created by the Obama administration?
2
The GOP health care plan is simple:
DNR
7
I guess I could never take Barr seriously. That Trump would appoint him is prima facie evidence of his corruption.
5
Repubs prefer the simplicity of their health plan as noted by former Congressman Grayson: "Got sick, that's too bad. Now go into the corner and die, quickly and quietly, please."
7
Sorry, but I can't shut it out of my mind's eye....the night
that Obama made the tragic mistake of thinking that
trump might be able to take a ribbing just like everyone else
in Washington memory, is indelible and keeps flashing back
to the surface of my memory....
Trying again to undo Obamacare, or maybe just Obama, is a psychological, clinical obsession being played out before our stunned eyes, no matter what one's view of health policy. What will satisfy this force of venomous hatred? What will be next if he doesn't get his way? Millions of sick men, women and children left stranded to fight illness and early death on their own? All of this because of a slight? Do any of you know the limits of this aberrant mind, behavior so fragile as to terrify, considering the desk he sits behind every day.......Lincoln's Desk with a phone
connected to every agency of Government
Please stop trying to move this to the "just politics" column in
your minds. Today, after he has had, arguably, the best day in his
Presidency courtesy of the latest sycophant ........he returns to his list, the "paid in full" list, in an effort to settle this score which eats at him every day, providing him with enough fuel to rail at the headstone of a dead War Hero come back from a War which he escaped, claiming 'bone spurs'.
Is it possible to be that empty? 'Empty' has no self-governing
on/off mechanism.
1
Trump has just given the Democrats a political gift. Let's hope that people don't suffer or die if our so-called president gets his way. He is a poor excuse for a human being.
6
On the face of it, given the message of the mid-terms, it seems like Republicans have pressed even harder on the self-destruct button. So why has Trump done this?
My theory is that he obviously knows all the skeletons rattling around in his closet and under investigation will ultimately be his undoing and will render him unelectable. When he therefore inevitably loses he will try and sew into history the fact that he lost because of his healthcare platform, not because of his disgusting conduct.
1
Build a wall around Trump and his base in deep red country and let the rest of us live our lives free of their mayhem.
5
...An old Washington hand, he had the stature and the backbone to protect the Justice Department from a White ...
evidently this assertion was not true like so many about people in power...see Muller....
Since when has Trump cared about the rule of law?
2
Trump's no evil genius, he's just evil. And thank goodness - we need him to drive the republican bus straight off the cliff in 2020.
8
who woulda thunk we would miss jeff sessions...
The new AG is quite the tech marvel...A puppet with no visible strings.
4
Trump, Barr and the rest who want to put the US health care system back to the pre ACA days are a reckless nasty brood. This retrograde group have no reason to do this. Just the pleasure of ending a large Obama era program. This is mean vindictiveness nothing else.
3
This looks to me like an act of vengeance for the Russia probe. Trump got off, and now he's newly empowered and seeking revenge.
1
No one should be surprised that Barr has turned out two shocking opinions in the past week that station him as #45's #1 cheerleader and ringleader. This is the guy who planted his flag with an unsolicited 19-page job application that said sweeping executive privilege makes the President essentially a king. Congress is a secondary body of moderate interest for whatever the President wishes. This was a symphony to the ears of a wannabe dictator and a strong suggestion that on his 3rd AG he would get all he wanted. Republicans in Congress abandoned their post, their principles, and their Constitution in OK'ing Barr, saying to #45, "sure, whatever you want." Post-Mueller is a new world of unfettered freedom for #45 to pander to his base, offering up the rest of the populace as sacrificial lambs on the altar of their hatred of government. This is going to get way worse, and it's likely Barr will lead the fray again and again. As the old blues song says, "rabbit, if you ain't scared you ain't right."
1
Let's be totally honest here. In 2011 at the Correspondents Dinner in DC, Trump was mocked by Obama in a playful bit of "I am getting back at you for your birther nonsense" by Obama. Trump's humiliation was palpable. That moment started this national nightmare. It is why Trump now wants to erase all of Obama's legacy. It is in keeping with Trump's sinister vindictive personality. You sense he never forgets, waiting and fuming and plotting revenge...24/7. Who cares about the American people? Not Donald. Revenge baby.
994
@Grace
Yes, but that revenge has infected other people too. Pence, McConnell, most of the GOP in senate and house. There is something more going on here than just revenge by Donald.
125
@Grace: True as that may be, how do you account for the Republican party that fell in lockstep with his vindictiveness and cruelty? This now goes way beyond being mocked at an annual event; this is flouting the rule of law and no one having the guts or the inclination to stop him. The party he represents is now just as culpable as he is.
167
@Grace
What goes around comes around. I look forward to seeing sweeping de-Trumpification in 2020. Ashcans full of MAGA hats everywhere. Millions of Republicans telling us they never voted for what's his name. Jim Jordan and Pence repenting for their idolatry.
107
Is this just Trump being Trump, with a personal vendetta against the smart, competent, and successful Obama, and everything Obama achieved?
Or, is this Trump being the ultimate Republican, chasing power and campaign contributions without regard for US law or what is good for the country or its people?
Probably both.
1
Trump and his McConnell Republicans don't care how many working class and middle class Americans are hurt by this. Will the Trump cult please wake up and pay attention?
The Democrats believe in good, affordable health care for all Americans, as part of their inalienable right to "life, liberty and happiness." It's that simple.
The Trump Republicans don't care that their efforts are in direct violation of the solemn duties of the Department of Justice, to protect all of the laws passed by Congress.
Yes, Trumpies still write often on this site that they couldn't care less that Trump breaks the law, damages our democracy, or personally profits from the office, so long as he does what they want.
They are following in the very fine footsteps of their very fine Congressional Republicans like Mr. McConnell.
Shortsighted doesn't begin to describe that.
3
By now you should recognize this as the standard distraction to get your attention away from what the other hand is doing. It could be the report that we are unlikely to see until it is "redacted" and edited to say that the 100 contacts with Russians over two years were to discuss what color flowers to plant in front of the embassy, which was SO IMPORTANT in the middle of a presidential campaign.... and so secret his aides chose to go to jail to cover up. But there are so many distractions and so many hands with mouths to feed.
I'm a conservative.
The big mistake D's made was nationalizing RomneyCare.
The correct path (and one that would have been supported by most R's) would have been to export RomneyCare to 49 other states.
Those 49 other states could have used the RomneyCare STATE model to flex it toward the needs, concerns, budgets and health outcomes the residents of their state wanted.
States could have mandated coverage and it would have been fair because people wouldn't be asked to pay $18k a year premiums with a $12k/year deductible.
The fact that MA is the only state to have passed an individual mandate POST-ACA is telling. The ObamaCare mandate was a sham. Not a single person is in jail today for not paying their ObamaCare tax. Not a single person indicted for not paying their ObamaCare tax.
Health insurance can easily be managed by each state just as they currently manage auto or home insurance in each state.
If you don't like what your state has or requires, that's why God invented U=Haul and the interstate highway system. You can move.
As it is now...ObamaCare is too expensive and too massive to require someone to buy it.
As it is now..Insurance companies cannot allow pre-existing conditions to be covered unless you show proof of continuous coverage.
So..had John McCain not done a thumbs down, insurance companies would be offering skinnier plans. States would each be deciding what's best for them, and everyone would be insured.
That's RomneyCare. We need it back.
@Erica Smythe
If it had been "Obama" care we would have a public option available. During over a year of haggling, Republicans added over 150 amendments and MADE our healthcare reform package "Romney"care, then wouldn't vote for it.
Give me the public option. It will be more cost-effective, more inclusive, and will save more lives.
4
There is now zero point in talking about what might have been before Obamacare was adopted. It's not even useful as an historical lesson. Because Trump is proposing absolutely nothing in place of the law that he has set out to destroy. Zilch. Nothing at all.
@Dubious In order to rebuild a system, you first have to deconstruct the system in place...sometimes piece by piece if the Architectural and Historical Preservation Society is watching you like a hawk.
So..McCain does a thumb down and we have to do this the hard way?
So be it.
Thanks OK. One day there will be a Democratic Attorney General (I am sure of that). I look forward to her 2 page letter outlawing private ownership of guns, since "well armed militia's are no longer essential for the defense of Liberty"
4
In the end, if there is still any truth or objectivity left to be had, it will be determined by historians that Fox News was the Trojan Horse that brought down American civilization.
By prying away at the cracks in the fault lines of American culture and diversity, all the while pivoting between being both some sort of sick entertainment and an objective news source, these schemers have been quite successful at their cruel objective, the undermining of the American Way.
When American democracy is a just pile of rubble laying strewn across the gutter of the former American states now reduced to violent chaos and anarchy they will be able to say: "See? we told you so..."
1
Uh, you might want to rethink and replace that picture...which is of a dental exam room, not a medical exam room. Medicare does not cover dental costs, so this picture is a rather silly choice.
4
One more point: the President is sworn to uphold the law of the land, so how is this DOJ action consistent with his oath of office?
3
Arguments about process are always arguments about substance in a very thin disguise, Chapter 7364.
1
President Trump proclaims the GOP will become "the party of health care." "You watch," he says. Mr. President, the Grand Old Party is about to become the Party of Disease. Trump Disease. You watch.
3
Is there a threshold of tolerance, beyond which Americans, Republican politicians included, will say ENOUGH!
Is it possible that Trump will finally offend and truly hurt, injure, kill enough people to the point the nation will stand up to him?
And what sort of force will it take to control this impulsive, angry dictator? Trump has said, in his Mafia like subtlety, that he controls forces to protect him. For the Democratic leaders who hold back on attacking Trump for fear of a backlash, don't they realize even voting him out, the democratic mechanism of ridding ourselves of a President, will cause Trump to unleash violence on us?
Will the confrontation be any the less for waiting?
1
This is about a president with a personal grudge going after Barrack Obama’s signature law. It has nothing to do with making America great or improving healthcare. It is personal for a perceived embarrassment of Trump. He is using the DOJ as his personal bully.
Why do people tolerate this?
4
The Republican ideology small government and all the money goes to the rich is what these immoral people believe is how America should be run. The capitalist insurance companies have caused all the high prices and need to be abolished like in Europe and Canada. The universal health care is working in those countries and we need to have it here.
2
Be prepared for the Republicans to introduce their winning Trumpian idea of health care coverage for the nation. Their plan will be state run in order to bring-in cheap junk insurance plans. They will sell these skimpy plans to the public as being affordable with low deductibles and premiums.
Unfortunately for the majority of Americans, these plans will not cover preexisting medical conditions, maternity care, Medicaid expansion, and a host of other goodies that people have now.
Life in the Trump era means turning the clock back to the good old days before Obama Care and letting Americans fend for themselves in this Republican social darwinian world.
4
Let's be clear:
This is about McCain turning the dossier over to the FBI - which we now know Graham encouraged McCain to do - and about McCain's "no" vote on the ACA.
Donald is buoyed by the "no collusion" conclusion and is flinging revenge anywhere he can get it, including at deceased POWs and at tens of millions of people who have the ACA as their only means of avoiding catastrophic medical bankruptcy.
The damage is done, and is irreversible. The American Experiment ultimately has been a failure, as this "presidency" demonstrates with surgical precision.
1
I'm hoping that healthcare will pull Democrats over the finish line in 2020. Sell it like our lives depend on it, because they do. And don't call it "Medicare for All." Call it "Universal Healthcare" and emphasize how every single citizen of this country will get complete access to a full range of medical services. Sell, sell, sell.
I love you Democrats, but come on, STAY ON MESSAGE!
6
Maybe they should kill it - Republican voters should know the Republicans don't care about them...only profit for their real base (the super elites). Unfortunately, consequences are the only way certain people learn. I'm just worried about collateral damage for innocent people.
4
Hmmm . . .
Okay, one of these things is true:
Dated March 26, 2019, by Catherine Garcia, in 'The Week':
"Two Cabinet secretaries — Attorney General William Barr and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar — pushed back on the Trump administration's recent decision to reverse course and try to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, three people with knowledge of the matter told Politico."
Or the reporting here from Mr. Bagley.
It would be help for everyone to know what to think about AG Barr going forward.
Everything about Donald Trump is alarming...
5
What do you mean Trump's push? This has been the goal of the republicans for 10 years.This is not normal politics. This a lust for power with absolutely no check. Face it, we live in a sick society. The only goals of Trump, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the republicans are money and power. You should have figured that out a long time ago. With rare exception, republicans are quite okay with Americans suffering and dying as a result of their policies so long as it makes them money or gets them power. I gave Bill Barr the benefit of the doubt. What a fool I was. I violated my own rule. Never ever trust a republican.
7
Trump is willing to try to kill anything associated with Obama. Paris Accord, Iran Nuclear Deal and The ACA. Obama lives in Trump's psyche because of the fact that Obama a black man is loved more than him. We have been dancing around this for two years and it is time to acknowledge it. Trump has blamed Obama for everything except The Plague for the last two years. Trump talked about the times Obama played golf while he was president while he plays every weekend. Nothing that Trump does to anything associated Obama should not alarm anyone.
5
I am so tired of all the republicans who bought into Mr. Phoney Baloney's make "Make America Great Again" fake story. Go ahead and repeal ACA and let's watch all those red state republicans, especially from Kentucky see what happens. It may be selfish, but these people need to feel some pain to finally wake up to the nonsense that Mr. Phoney Baloney has been selling. For all you wealthy selfish people, no worries, until the poor start pitching tents on your front lawns because they now missed out on Mr. Phoney Baloney's only for the wealthy tour.
3
Why is a picture from a dental office shown? Obamacare has nothing to do with dentistry!
4
And what will these Senators do now? They have no plan other than to destroy. They don't create anything but havoc. Will they sit on their hands? Will they stand up and be counted by speaking up for the rule of law? The Senate is also the problem here. They give this man cover. They lie down while this lawless President reeks asunder our constitution.
2
I am appalled and speechless.
This administration is pushing us in an unprecedented chaos.
ACA was developed as a sturdy mainframe to be built upon to provide indispensable healthcare to Americans , who don’t have the luxury to live in a “ socialized “ country such as Canada or most European countries, where healthcare and education are considered fundamental rights and not privileges.
I wish mr. Barr will consider the dramatic and painful consequences of a decision that would cause immense disruption in the very core of American society.
1
It's no mystery... the Republicans wanting to kill Obamacare. Obamacare is in their view mostly for the Democratic base. There is no quid pro quo to be had for the Republicans in providing affordable healthcare to the Democratic base... no more than the Democrats, in their calculation, will make gun purchase easier for the Republican base.
The miscalculation on their part is that the number of people who want affordable healthcare exceeds their estimates, and comprises many Republicans and Independents. So when this plays out, either Obamacare will go and so will Trump (in 2020), or Obamacare will stay.
2
If we had any notion that William Barr would lead the Justice Department fairly, on behalf of the rule of law and the American people, this story makes it clear our faith was misguided.
This ruling shows why it is essential that we see the full Mueller report and do not trust the four-page summary provided by Barr.
Barr is working for Trump, not for the American people.
7
When has this president cared about upholding the rule of law?
Now that he has been reassured only Congress can hold him accountable supposedly because a sitting president can't be indicted, he has the freedom to do whatever he likes. Perhaps ditching the ACA, putting children in pens, grabbing the power of the purse and violating campaign finance laws are just warm-up acts.
3
It’s a great flywheel:
1) Use the RW media to demonize the safety net
2) Tear down the safety net
3) The people most impacted are those in Republican states who then are agitated
4) and then are sold that we need to further reign in spending
5) which then elects Republicans
Rinse and repeat.
The willing accomplice is the populace.
The cycle can only be broken by playing the same game as the Republicans— meaning the Democrats have to find an issue that mobilizes anger and fear.
Sad for this country.
2
Genuine question for legal minds out there.
Is the difference between this criticism of Barr’s position on ACA and the previous Republican criticism of Obama’s selective prosecution (de-prioritizing based on limited resources as I recall the argument) active vs passive stance? I’m trying to understand this OpEd’s “smashing the rule of law” argument.
It’s very clear this is another disaster in the making for folks toward the bottom of the economic scrum who rely on ACA for access to health care. My only hope post-Mueller is that Trump et al will shoot themselves in the foot on health care as we head to 2020 but of course that presumes We The People are actually paying attention to the substance and not just the rhetoric and “bumper stickers” pumped out of the cesspool that the White House has become...
1
Since Trump generally ignores and avoids blue states (when was the last time the guy gave a public speech in New York?), can his destructive policies only apply to red states where most of his hard core supporters resident? After all, they should get what they deserve.
3
Some how this will make no difference to Trump’s base. He will simply tell them all the news is wrong and they will willingly give up their health insurance. Defies logic.
4
I don't doubt Professor Bagley's fundamental worry, that DOJ now refuses to enforce laws where there is any decent argument to do so. This particular law raises countervailing issues, including that its reach is so vast and invasive; it never garnered the support of even one member of the opposing party; Congressional leaders at the time of its passing claimed the bill needed to become law before they could read it to know what was in it; it was passed in part on the basis of lies of stunning lies (even for politics); it was meant to be debated in public and never was; and more. Maybe we can land on this truce. Congress should pass better laws, and DOJ should defend them wherever possible. It's astonishing that nine years later, the media still is publishing articles explaining what the ACA does, to 17% of our economy.
2
This action is just a trial balloon to see whether the present form if the Supreme Court is up to asserting its ultimate control over Congress by simply asserting that any legislation it wishes to quash is “unconstitutional”. Thereby, even a Democratic control of both Congress and the White House becomes moot.
3
If we were still debating if the president was above the law we should stop debating. He has stomped around getting rid of, amongst others, Michael Cohen, Jeff Sessions until he could finally get the legal backing and protection he sought to hide behind to fulfill his personal agenda and vendetta all wrapped up in AG Barr. Checks and balances for this president was perilously weak at best with the Republicans in Congress behaving like robotic sheep but has hit a new low now that he feels he can control the DOJ. He has certainly exposed an Achilles heel in our system and is weaponizing it for all its worth for his own personal agenda, not the good of the country. As long as he has good food, a great place to live and wonderful health care, why should anyone else feel pain? Thank goodness for a free press, a free judiciary, the intelligence community, and the right to vote. He is clearly trying to destroy all of our cherished institutions and freedoms. It is going to be a very long two years ahead, and all I can already say is vote!
7
"Attorney General William Barr was supposed to be a voice of reason in the Trump administration."
Seriously? Who with any knowledge of the man could actually believe that? Bill Barr was always an ideologue and a political hack. His mean-spirited tenure as AG in the 90s; his unsolicited 19-page memo to the Trump defense team claiming that any action utilizing presidential authority--no matter how outrageous or blatantly self-serving--couldn't constitute obstructing; his likely mischaracterization of Bob Mueller's report (probably to be followed by heavy redacting of the actual report).
They all demonstrate that Mr. Barr is as honorable an attorney general as Donald Trump is a president. He's a voice of right-wing ideology and political advantage. The rule of law plays little role in how he runs DOJ.
11
Maybe the lawyer sees the world differently. i bet he has good health insurance and is not in any danger of being admitted to a hospital. He should be reminded, or informed, that preventable medical error is the the third leading cause of death in this country with the most expensive, least effective medical system in the world. Obamacare did very little to correct that problem. Actually it made it worse. It just feeds the beast. Additionally, Obama's mandate that all medical records be converted to digital format with now universal electronic medical records made the problem much worse. Even he and Biden have admitted that, and that certainly should be something future voters should consider when voting for the next president.
1
The law is not perfect. It is long and complicated. Setting it aside without a replacement is irresponsible and cruel to those who depend on many of its provisions.
6
@Jane K
400,000 dead a year and 10,000 non-fatal injuries DAILY is cruel and irresponsible. If you don't believe that just google "400,000 medical error"
Obamacare just strengthened that system and increased the expenses. He failed to address the opioid crisis and now the manufacturers of the choice antidote, naloxone, have increased prices a thousand fold for something that costs pennies to produce. Obama is proving to be the Hugo Chavez of the health care system. He provided a few benefits for popular appeal but the overall structure is a disaster.
Thanks for naming a purported flaw in Obamacare that Trump's bad-faith destruction of the law will do absolutely nothing to fix.
1
Whenever you vote for a republican, then you are voting for Socialism for the 1% and corporations (to lock in their profit, and to bail them out with tax payer money when they fail) and for privatization for everything else. (that everything will cost more if you can actually afford it) It is that simple.
There is no surprise when they promise (lie) about what they are going to do when in office, and then turn around and do the exact opposite.
The only difference between republicans of old, and this new bunch is the promises they make are even when they ARE in office.
The hypocrisy is truly astounding !
10
I don't get why people are so shocked. Besides Trump being a total liar about everything, of course this was going to happen. How else will this administration be able to cover the massive loss of revenue thanks entirely to the giant tax cuts for the 1%? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the reasons behind it. We will continue to see more and more of essential government services being cut as our national debt sky rockets. Stay tuned, next on the chopping block will be Social Security and Medicare.
10
And maybe that is what will finally Provo’s response from MAGA voters dependent on the government.
If anyone thought the the Trump Administration was concerned with upholding the rule of law or the Constitution of the United States, can forget about it, .
4
Trump says that the Republican Party will be known as the party of health care. Right.
Be Best, Donald.
4
I am begining to suspect that Mr. Bagley's parents bribed someone in order to get him through Law School.
His legal analysis seems to avoid all reference to actual Law.
Ie.....US Code.
He also seems to lack interest in "constitutionality"......a legal definition in a lot of flux these days......From its context, I'm starting to define "constitutionality" as something I can do but YOU cannot.
The law counts for nothing in Trump-land. Neither does Congress nor the Supreme Court.
The law is what The Donald says it is.
2
Let not a day pass by where we as a nation, or some of us as citizens, are not further shocked as though stepping on or grabbing an electrically charged wire. Mueller passes to Justice his report, grabbed by Barr, and diverted and interpreted by Barr. Next day, the very next day, this ACA bomb is thrown! Have they no shame? Of course they do not. What is the law of the land? What is a veto on the money for the border to this president and his cabal? What are the branches of government? Are all citizens equal in some way, less in others, none in some? Wake me when this is over.
4
My church requested bids for a new pipe organ. Of the many that came back, the lowest one, paradoxically, was from the "Cadillac" of pipe organ builders--Casavant--located in Canada. The bid was low because the company, like all the others in Canada, did not have to pay their workers health care because Canada provides it to all its citizens.
6
Wouldn’t our firms achieve the same effect by having employees pays 100% for own health care?
Just more abysmal “leadership” from Trump. He’s a serious danger to the country.
4
So Barr's contention is President is above the law.
This applies exclusively to republican presidents.
Now we know that the smiling grin on Barr's face was nothing more than his personal agenda to give Donald J. Trump his "get out of jail card".
1
Whenever you vote for a republican, then you are voting for Socialism for the 1% and corporations (to lock in their profit, and to bail them out with tax payer money when they fail) and for privatization for everything else. (that everything will cost more if you can actually afford it) It is that simple.
There is no surprise when they promise (lie) about what they are going to do when in office, and then turn around and do the exact opposite.
The only difference between republicans of old, and this new bunch is the promises they make are even when they ARE in office.
The hypocrisy is truly astounding.
3
Trump is playing the Pied Piper of Hamlin leading his blind followers to the 19th century. The last time I listened to his voice was when he said he did not believe there should be a minimum wage set. Reagan began union busting with the air traffic controllers in the '80's. Unions have gotten a bad name. Unions are responsible for miner's who go underground receive a decent wage, have safety equipment and are not worked to death. Unions are responsible for creating a livable wage, the 40 hour work week, health coverage, time off for vacations, and a standardization for working conditions.
By the way, OSHA was instituted in April 1971 during the Nixon administration. Is that Trump's next target?
When people get disgusted with Trump's reversal of things decent they should remember the representatives who voted for passage of his bills, and return them to civilian life ASAP.
6
Let's start with a simple idea, everyone who reaches the age of 50 can access the same benefits as those now 65. This is the greater share of those who require affordable access to medical care and it would reduce the burden on the private insurance pools that are attempting to normalize the cost of insurance coverage for people ranging from their early 20s to their mid-60s according to the ACA formula.
After we've moved the age lower we will have addressed the most pressing issues of affordability and accessibility. Private insurance is free to compete for this pool, but based on profitibility they are not likely to try too hard for comprehensive coverage for those over 50, instead, they'll try to sweep up the markets for supplemental coverage now offered to seniors as part of Medicare.
This one change will make insurance more affordable for aging Americans and for younger Americans.
7
Additionally if not for paying for private insurance until you reach 65, many may choose to retire earlier than 65 and open up job opportunity for younger people
3
Ironically, a change in healthcare financing that disrupts the lives of millions, mostly the young the sick, the unemployed. and the poor, is OK, whereas a change that potentially disrupts the private insurance system is beyond the pale. Ironic also that Blue Cross/Blue Shield represents the largest single source of lobbying dollars in Washington.
5
Anarchy defines this McConnell/Trump GOP.
4
Killing Obamacare also does damage to people who never get ill, because so many health care professionals are going to lose their job when they lose 20 million customers.
So apart from exposing the cruelty of this administration, it also reveals (again) its stupidity.
3
Just when the Republicans thought they got one leg up on Speaker Pelosi and then Trump knocks that leg from under them.
1
Another “voice of reason” to join the “adults in the room” atop the trash heap of this administration’s legacy. November 2020 can’t come soon enough.
5
VOTE!
1
Could just be a diversion to obfuscate what Barr is doing.
6
Sociopaths are mostly interested in seeing how much they can get away with . . . and how much they can enmesh others in their own self-aggrandizing corruption.
3
NOTHING has damaged healthcare more in America than the Affordable Care Act. It MUST go. My mother had great health insurance, and then lost it under the ACA. You might recall the big lie Obama told America, when he said you can keep your current health plan, all the while he knew that wasn't true. But Trump is the liar right? The ACA is a disaster and MUST go for the good of the nation. The way things are now, it will bankrupt the nation.
It never ceases to amaze me how so many supposedly intelligent, independent thinking NYT readers can give such poorly thought out emotional knee-jerk reactions to any discuss of ...... Change.
ACA was indeed pushed into law as a direct blatant violation of our Constitution............the highway to Hell is often paved with good intentions.
The Political Forces(think of the DNC Machine and the Bush Family) "colluded", if you will, with the Health Insurance Business Lobby (Richard Nixon + Kaiser Permanente style)...
Its as simple as that.
Then....the US Senate wrote every single word of the ACA document, put in every punctuation mark.....and had the DNC ramrod it through the House(Nancy Pelosi's most famous quote..."we have to pass this in order to find out what's in it.")
The Senate premeditatedly violated Article 1:Section 7.....almost the first charge of the Legislative Branch....
"No Bill of Revenue shall originate in the US Senate...."
ACA, according the Supreme Court.....is .... in fact......a bill of revenue.
And if its not, and if NYTs readers can actually think for themselves......Why is every provision of ACA enforced by the Internal Revenue Service??
The problem is that repealing the ACA leaves the system in complete disarray, with no alternative to replace it. The thought process regarding the impact on real lives is non existent. The ACA was phased in over time and the expectation was that the congress would adjust the law as rework problems with its implementation as it went along, which has been how Congress does things.
I mean why didn’t Trump just abolish taxes and the IRS? Because it was silly and unrealistic. Instead, the tax system was overhauled.
Study the ACA, see what works and what doesn’t, before setting it aside.
1
"..threat to the rule of law." -- means ZERO to me anymore. you might as well say .. yada yada yada. He's 'threatened' the rule of law & broken the law so many times I've finally gotten numb ~~ I don't understand how this can still be happening.
spanky's crowd is determined to ruin our country.
1
Trump's Tweet leading up to the mid-terms:
5:45 AM - 24 Oct 2018
"Republicans will totally protect people with Pre-Existing Conditions, Democrats will not! Vote Republican."
Yeah sure
2
Trump, true to form, is now seeking revenge, since , it appears, Mueller has found nothing to merit any criminal referral for collusion in his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 campaign.
Okay. Great. Trump, our Caligula, got lucky. Had he kept his mouth shut he could have spun this "victory" into 2020 gold...Instead he blew it. Going after, and trying to eviscerate, the ACA is an act of stupidity unprecedented for even Trump. It is evidence ( irrefutable) of his lack of fitness for the office he holds ( again, by sheer luck).
The Democrats need now only focus on this change of mind by Trump to bring everyone effected back to their camp. Healthcare , the voters have said, needs to be affordable, accessible and available. It is not the exclusive province of the uber rich...
2
Okay. People are reading to much into this. We should know by now how the Trump psyche works. He tapped into republican’s hate and jealousy of all things Obama.
Imagine a health care law and system named somebody you hate? Understand that they want this label badly. Trump wants Trump care. It is that simple. They tried to make it negative with their lies, now they realize how powerful a phrase like “Obama cares” can be. Lol. These folks make bottom dwellers look like cute house pets.
There’s going to be a revolution... sooner or later. And the common- man American is finally and definitively say..”enough is Enough!”
1
Were a voice of truth and reason to pop up in this administration, they immediately would be garroted.
To the cheers of the crowd.
It will never happen as they couldn't pass the vetting.
It's hallucinatory to believe otherwise.
There are those may appear to be bad at face value, but behind the curtain, pure malice and evil.
Stop the Pollyannaesque "They wouldn't do that".
That and worse.
2
William Barr + Brett Kavanaugh = GOP attack on citizens and our rights.
3
The Trump administration's only care is for what it can get away with, not for what is right, nor for what is best for the country. Trump has a criminal mentality.
1
Whenever you vote for a republican, then you are voting for Socialism for the 1% and corporations (to lock in their profit, and to bail them out with tax payer money when they fail) and for privatization for everything else. (that everything will cost more if you can actually afford it) It is that simple.
There is no surprise when they promise about what they are going to do when in office, and then turn around and do the exact opposite.
The only difference between republicans of old, and this new group is the promises they make are even when they ARE in office.
The moral deficit is truly astounding.
2
The timing of this is suspect. It seems that this is some kind of punishment for the Russia investigation; revenge for investigating Trump. For our "crimes," we're losing our healthcare. Soon, we'll have even less straw to make bricks.
3
The ACA has been through the states, courts, elections and even the Supreme Court and survived but the Republicans won't let it go. According to the Republicans nothing should be overlooked and no effort spared that can disenfranchise those who are less fortunate.
3
Never forget this: cancelling the ACA gives a big tax break to the rich, who are paying 3.8% on investment income above a six-figure threshold. It's called the "Net Investment Income Tax", and I'm convinced it's the REAL reason the Republicans want to get rid the entire ACA. Follow the money.
8
This is one step further in a progression of Republican executive actions to thwart existing laws they don't like. I believe Nixon refused to spend money appropriated by congress because he didn't like the purpose it was appropriated to achieve. Reagan stopped enforcing the anti trust laws and now Trump will not defend existing law in court.
What is the next thing a Republican president will do to thwart congress -- build a wall?
1
Barr is an early but very formidable entry in the "Worst Public Servant Ever" sweepstakes, challenging McConnell and that all but forgotten Cheney.
1
Going forward, anything William Barr does as Attorney General is suspect. The first red flag should have been that he essentially auditioned for the job, and now in less than a week he has perpetrated very deliberate and questionable actions that do deep harm to the country and stature of the Justice Department. He most certainly has lost sight of the fact that the Attorney General is supposed to be the lawyer "of the people", not a presidential lapdog.
6
Is this a Bizarro World or what? Up is down, left is (extreme) right, black is white.
All of the American ideals that I grew up with in Brooklyn seem to have been cast by the wayside: fair play, no one above the law, justice for all, an even playing field where a person's talent and drive can take them anywhere they want.
All that has been upended by the short time Donald Trump has been in the Oval Office. How in blazes could this have happened to my country?
I wish I could say that I fought for the nation in WW II, but my war was considerably less righteous and more unethical: Vietnam. Was that the beginning of the downward spiral for America? Where lying politicians took us to war and kept us engaged for political purposes?
Was that the butterfly in the political chaos theory? I don't know. But I do know that I have been experiencing a prolonged anxiety attack since Donald J. Trump raised hi right hand and swore to uphold the Constitution. The first lie of his presidency.
4
I don't understand why he is still president. As recently as 30 years ago he would've been booted out. He is not only ruining a very badly constructed health system; he is ruining all systems (however badly constructed), both here and abroad. The Affordable Health Care plan isn't perfect, but our whole health care system is outrageously bad and getting worse for all but the "one percent." Is it the demographic of our voters that is allowing him (and his supporting republicans) to stay? I can't figure it out.
4
Nick, apparently your employer has covered all the increases associated w/Obama Care b/c they can simply pass it along to students, ie you’ve heard about this student thing, right? Instead, most of us, and I work for a Fortune 50 company, have seen their premiums more than double while their deductibles have more than doubled - ask one of your Econ profs, that math isn’t sustainable. How about a bi-partisan solution vs the jam job we witnessed in 2009? Unfortunately that would take too much of your time so it’s easier to complain about a two-time AG
@MTM “bi-partisan solution”?! LOL. That worked so well when Obama initially sought to work with the GOP.
1
no wonder we have so many bad lawyers with guys like this teaching them, the executive branch has historically and consistently refused to defend laws it believed were unconstitutional or suffered some other fatal legal flaw. there is no such thing as a "duty to defend" whatever the Congress passes, and the notion that such a notion is critical to the rule of law is ludicrous. so add Michigan to the list of law schools with poor law professors. too bad.
What is the ideal for Today's republican party , not Teddy's or Ike's party?
Teddy and Ike did something many progressive democrats just uttering now.
But Today's Republican party has a dream, That dream can only be represented in 19th century Dicken's tales.
A citizen has no expectation from government, health , school , infrastructure is entirely considered a luxury but not a standart of living. However when it comes to War, that citizen should go without a single word and give his/her life for the country and rich and the politically powerful.
WWI world was exact embodiment of this republican dream.
Notorious Kaiser Wilhelm told the journalists after abdication to his side of the story and concluded like this.
Germany lost the war because of coward and sold politicians, German people were ready to die to last person.
This was his expectation. No service but pure sacrifice.
Republican's worship this idea. that is why defense budget is always secure , rest of the programs are always under axe.
1
Breathtaking. In less than one week the new AG has demonstrated his loyalty to the Don. It seems the emboldened president seeks to expand his base by solidifying his support among the wealthy through draconian cuts to healthcare and public programs. God help us, oh yes, that’s the point right? What chumps we are!
3
the trump presidency is about to get a lot worse..... Michael cohen's warning about what's coming if trump loses his election bid in 2020 rings a little more true...... I am not convinced we will have an election much less a free and fair one. trump is now untethered and completely unrestrained. I do believe we are about to have a civil war. mueller has demonstrated that our legal system will not function to protect us and there's nothing left of checks and balances.
2
@coale johnson
Even if he stays in power in 2020, don't just it will end in 2024 because no rule is big enough for this man to bend to it. Not even the 22nd Amendment.
1
While virtually everything Trump does as president is of questionable intent and assured ignorance, I nonetheless am glad he is making this move to undo Obamacare, though of course his motives are murky at best, vindictive and unfeeling at worst. For middle class folks like me, all Obamacare did was artificially lower my premiums while exponentially jacking up my deductibles, making a horribly endemic health care problem even worse for me, my wife and two daughters. I'm hoping this latest effort by Trump to unravel Obamacare once and for all will have the precise opposite effect of what he intends, and swing the pendulum all the way in the other direction, leading Democrats at long long long last to have the chutzpah to lead the pack in bringing about a public health care option for one and all.
2
@Christopher P. Let me guess — you and your wife are in your 20’s, and all four of you are in perfect health.
@Bob I'm almost 60, wife in late 40s, middle income entrepreneurs, with young daughters. thanks for your (way wrong) guess, though. Let me guess in my own right -- you are an... Obamacare disciple.
1
As we move closer to becoming a Banana Republic there is no question that the policy moves by the Trump Presidency are those of a dictator. I seriously doubt that we can survive two more years till the election.
2
Not to prove I'm weird, but Trump is more fun in a reality show kind of way than Obama. The catch with Trump is he doesn't do anything for future generations. He never postpones present fun for future improved success. Obama may have gone a little too far, like Lincoln, in sacrificing present fun for future improvements.
Here are some examples: ObamaCare put us through lots of misery. Remember Sebelius and all those glitches with that website. Also the Kyoto accord wasn't as miserable, but it did once again force present changes, calculations, a kind of seriousness on the present for the good of the future. Obama’s stance on pollution, parks, and others all make him a kind of Lincoln modernizing the future at the cost of present silliness -- do the annoyance of many.
Lincoln was followed by Johnson and Obama was followed by Trump. The pattern of too much for the future at the cost of the silliness and selfishness of the present seems, perhaps, to be in our country's DNA.
Barr obeying Trump is just spinning wheels for another episode of "As the World Heats."
The catch is unless the present generation hops to in the next election and seriously solves global warming, the human species on planet Earth will be in for some hard times. The present generation will, to use one of Trump's words, be a real disgrace: embellishing on Trump -- worthy of eternal damnation.
What part of this DOJ coup is a surprise? Barr auditioned as the great destroyer long before his confirmation. The Senate would not have confirmed him if they thought he was going to follow the law. Trump would not have nominated him if he thought he was not going to slavishly support him.
And during what part of Trumps life has he not broken the law and gotten away with it? His success is not a fluke, it is the iron clad rule of wealth over all that now rules America. Trump is doing us all a favor in showing us that democracy has long been dead and the rule of law has long been a joke. We cannot continue walking through the debris of our destroyed government with our rose colored glasses on. This is the point where we see what we have become.
Trump will soon be the king that he always wanted to be and his justification will be that he deserves it because he is rich. And who of the rich ruling elite will object to his claim? They well know that there are an endless supply of toadies like Barr to subvert any position desired for a few dollars and some publicity. They know that all government has been bought so why shouldn’t the rich be kings?
The only problem with the new system will be the age old one of succession. There are more rich people who want to play and their patience is getting short. Trump can only buy them off for so long and then we will see the battle of the titans as Billionaires battle for the right to take away our healthcare as we helplessly look on.
2
Republicans have proven themselves to be a threat to the stability, health and rule of law in the country and must be voted out.
5
I am self-insured and I don't qualify for the subsidies. Thanks to the Trump Admiration getting rid of the mandate I saw my $4,800 deductible from 2018 go up to a $6,000 deductible this year, and yes the rate went up as well.
Now they want to get rid of the total ACA and bring us back to the Stone Age. I have a preexisting condition, my neighbor does, my friends do, etc... We are all people who are barely in the "middle class" and are struggling because we are all self employed.
I fear for my friend who does everything right, low weight, cooks from scratch, eats healthy, exercises, and still got some rare disease. She needs blood test every six weeks and medicine. Her family's biggest expense is medical care.
5
When talking about healthcare and the Trump/Republican attacks to gut it, "undermining the rule of law" is at best a tertiary political argument. All arguments like this should be shelved -- Republicans are comfortable arguing "rule of law" in the abstract, and it gives them an opportunity to distract from the what Dems need to keep a visceral issue.
The principle arguments Dems and the left should be hammering home from now until November 2020 are:
1) Trump and the Republicans have pushed for years now to take away your health insurance,
2) They are close to succeeding,
3) They have no plan to replace it with anything,
4) If Trump and the Republicans win in November 2020, say goodbye to you and your family's healthcare coverage, and hello to personal bankruptcy, and
5) Whether or not you favor their particular plan, every single Democratic politician is in favor of expanding and improving healthcare coverage for working Americans.
8
When talking about healthcare and the Trump/Republican attacks to gut it, "undermining the rule of law" is at best a tertiary political argument. All arguments like this should be shelved -- Republicans are comfortable arguing "rule of law" in the abstract, and it gives them an opportunity to distract from the what Dems need to keep a visceral issue.
The principle arguments Dems and the left should be hammering home from now until November 2020 are: 1) Trump and the Republicans have pushed for years now to take away your health insurance, 2) They are close to succeeding, 3) They have no plan to replace it with anything, 4) If Trump and the Republicans win in November 2020, say goodbye to you and your family's healthcare coverage, and hello to personal bankruptcy, and 5) Whether or not you favor their particular plan, every single Dem is in favor of expanding and improving healthcare coverage for working Americans.
2
Let's face it.... Conservatives do not care for the rule of law. They only care about power. The sooner Democrats and Independents learn this the better off the country will be. There can be no negotiation with Conservatives. They do not care about the country nor its people. They only care about winning.
5
This man as I have said be for is poison for this country the GOP the same, they are owned by the wealth and could care less about anyone else. How any regular working person could see other wise and vote for them is mind numbing. It will take pain to adjust there thinking let's hope they do not destroy us be for things change, mean wile stacking the courts to be controlled by corporate interests they all need thrown out fast. I just do not see how this could be good for the country.
1
It seems like coming off what he views as a big win in the Mueller investigation, Trump now thinks he has the power to be that big time, right wing, strongman he admires. It was only a matter of time until something gave him what he saw as that opportunity to rule by edict instead of all that messy legislating.
3
Mr. Barr does not deserve credibility for simply being "an old Washington hand." That alone should confer neither honor nor dismay.
His actions to pardon those who committed outrageous criminal acts against our country because they were part of an imperial presidency were wrong, indefensible, damaging to our country and to the very idea of democracy. They diminished a scandal and so were good for the Republican party.
His unsolicited opinion (job application) of an Imperial Presidency is more sophistry to further an unchecked Executive.
I don't know enough of his history to malign him. I am sure he is smart and accomplished. But those traits will little mitigate his actions to subordinate country, democracy and equality under law to party.
3
I don't understand at all the "constitutional" arguments to force the repeal....health care is not mentioned at all within any part of the constitution or its amendments....But I do find a constitutional problem with a passed and implemented law that has been certified already by the Supreme Court that can be scrapped for partisan reasons by a partisan judge. This could mean than anything or any law Congress passes can be overturned at anytime by a stacked court.
5
@Mary, the constitutional issues revolve around taxes, which the penalty was deemed. They are far-fetched, and essentially pretexts.
1
The Republicans are not working to improve conditions for the general public, despite Trump saying that he is the best president ever, they are working to maximize profit for big companies and to have money for more give- aways to the very rich. Trump seems to be following Putin's agenda to weaken the US. Trashing health care will do this nicely for Putin. Imagine the suffering, spread of disease and incapacitation from illness when a large portion of people lose health care. These people include the workers, the ones that keep the country moving. Trump says " go ahead and die", perhaps in his twisted mind he is weeding out the weak and the helpless. If we could only weed out Trump, we would be much stronger.
2
It's time for us to decide against having ANY rich people in the government. The rich and super-rich don't need the same things the rest of us need things like Social Security, Medicare, and an inclusive health-care system, because they have enough money to buy anything they want. They don't mind killing those Social Security, Medicare, and an inclusive health-care system because they won't miss them. No more of that. From now on, everyone in the government needs to be equally dependent on the services the rest of us need.
5
"It flouted the Justice Department’s duty to defend, a solemn duty, and one that goes to the heart of the rule of law. Without it, the sitting administration could pick which laws it wanted to defend in the courts and which it wanted to abandon."
Yes, but this kind of action by the DOJ is not extraordinary when the original law is as messed up as the ACA. The ACA is only affordable for those with preexisting conditions. For the rest of us, it is outrageously expensive. My monthly premiums are $1,183 for a family of three, and annual deductibles are $13,600, just above the limit where I can make a health savings account contribution. So even our monthly prescription medications have to be paid from after-tax dollars.
Remember that President Obama made an executive decision not to defend DOMA, a federal law which was signed by President Clinton. Obama's action rightfully led to the recognition of gay marriage. [Mr. Obama himself was against gay marriage before his 2008 campaign, so this was a result of him changing his mind].
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/us/24marriage.html
But no one can accuse Mr. Trump of changing his mind. He ran on invalidating Obamacare and has tried numerous times to achieving the same result in Congress, losing by one vote in the Senate. He is simply trying a different route using a different tool.
1
@Rajkamal Rao, your costs tell nothing about ACA without your income. You must have a large income to be ineligible for subsidy; you may live in a state that failed to implement it at all.
Kindly state your AGI if you want to complain about costs. It is presumed that, in the aggregate at least, those who do not qualify for subsidy do not need it.
2
Actually, Trump has changed his mind. It was only a few months ago that he started claiming to have defeated Obamacare via the tax law. He declared victory and checked off the promise (threat) he had made to voters.
Now he's flip-flopping, claiming that he didn't kill it after all. What's next, a push to start building the wall, even though the fevered crowds at his rallies have been shouting "finish the wall" for months now?
Once upon a time, insurance was a concept that was designed to "spread the risk". Insurance companies have increasingly bastardized the concept to increase profitability.
There is one way to "spread the risk" over the widest possible constituency and that is with Medicare For All. With 60% of all bankruptcies caused by medical costs, isn't it time to truly spread the risk as widely as possible. In the process, we could reduce net overall health care costs by hundreds of billions of dollars per year by eliminating parasitic private health insurance companies.
4
I am afraid the lack of "collusion" is only one issue with this Presidency. Since he took office he has scrapped our relationships with our major allies, and also ruined every important piece of legislation since Obama was in office. I am disgusted every day by the next perfidious act by this Republican supported maniac. I can only say when I mention Trump's name to anyone it is with the word scum attached. I hope the New York pursuit of this man continues and even ramps up now that the Mueller Inquiry has ended.
8
@JHM
Thank you for "perfidious." I have been running out of adjectives and am almost single-handedly responsible for consigning "reprehensible" to the literary bottom drawer labelled "hackneyed," right alongside "unprecedented," through daily (over-) use.
1
Repeal and Replace. The GOP has had ****TEN YEARS*** to come up with a replacement plan and have nothing. So we are supposed to trust them to come up with a Great Plan while negotiating with their hair on fire? Really?
7
Continuing in the paranoid style of American politics, one wonders if Trump cut a deal with congressional Republicans so they would provide him continued support. This is just another onslaught on the ACA, a posture developed by many Republicans prior to Trump's presidency. If anything, it appears he has flipped from his campaign.
It would be nice to see a sensible healthcare plan arise from the modern Republicans, but ...
Hey folks...this is just a "red herring" to divert us from whats going on in the backfield. Like when a magician waves his left hand so you don't notice what the right hand is doing.
Do you really think the "industrial medical complex" is going to let this happen? They are raking in billions. Do you think they want people thinking about single payer. They are perfectly happy with the current legal rip off system.
9
If the courts don't dismantle the Affordable Care Act, Trump will have to declare a national emergency and do it that way. But first he will have to declare an emergency to eliminate the uncontrolled press, the enemy of the people.
9
Let's put it this way.
All interested people very well know what is going on with Brexit?
brexit at this moment is actually a chaos for otherwise organized and well managed daily life of UK people. The chaos will wreak havoc every aspect of life.
ACA repeal is going to be a little Brexit. Because health system is going through a big chaos, the worst is ACA repeal follows with a clear uncertainty because we know for sure Republican's didn't show any effort to prepare replacement.
Exactly a Brexit scenario, jumping in to the uncertainty .
4
Republicans have been fighting against affordable health care for decades. Protecting the profit of the industry justifies their brutality and deliberately doing harm to the nation. Their position is inhumane and really bad economics on top of it. For an advanced nation to spend about 18% of GDP on health care while leaving millions of people uninsured is incomprehensible.
There is no social progress to be made with Republicans, their destruction of the working middle class is just relentless.
31
It's about getting back at McCain---
8
It is also defying logic when it comes to the people who attend his rallies. He walks into these rallies wearing a suit he had manufactured in one of his sweatshops overseas and screams racially charged slogans such as "America First!" Is anyone familiar with the history of that one? That slogan was also a favorite of the people during WWII who did not want our country to "interfere" with Hitler; and it was also written on banners that were flown by the KKK before that.
Then there's that "Build the wall" nonsense blurted out at his rallies and also by the so-called "Republicans" who have endorsed the caterwauling birther.
How much are his fans willing to fall for while they treat Trump - a bigoted coward and self-serving elitist - as if he's the second coming.
Do they really think that getting rid of healthcare reform is going to help them anyway?
We get it. Former President Obama said you could keep your doctor if you wanted to. Well, in most cases you actually can if you choose a plan where he's participating. IT's called an informed choice.
And speaking of freedom to choose, why can't a woman choose to see a doctor at Planned Parenthood for an ovarian cyst. I would bet good money that Republican Senators "choose" on behalf of their mistresses whenever there's a mishap.
What is alarming is that Trump's fans are actually buying the filth-driven bill of goods being sold to them, to the point of hurting themselves AND hurting our democracy.
21
Republicans failed once at medical suicide, so they’ll try again. Before there’s a rush on cat food, I’d suggest you stock up now. Oh yeah, and throw out the cat.
4
trump is live (read backwards).
4
The core of our American Constitutional system is under attack by a psychopath wishing only to remake the laws to suit him.
No thought beyond that.
The Republicans in Congress are complicit.
12
“It’s not hard to see that as an incipient justification for refusing to enforce any law that the president believes to be unconstitutional,”.. actually, enforcing any law emperor Tang doesn’t like. Why would you assume the president* either knows or cares what’s constitutional. L’estat c’est moi
2
@Eric
The Constitution is above Trump's reading level.
@Eric, Lestat would be better....
The donald is a Democrat mole ... does anyone remember his quote about the Republicans being so dumb ... he is doing everything in his power to destroy the credibility of the GOP ... and they are too powerless or chicken to do anything ...
3
The Alarm did go off never stopped since November 2016.
Not only healthcare in many other issues.
Home is burning and one group is having party one of the room , that is the situation.
Any other explanation...……..open to listen.
3
"It’s not hard to see that as an incipient justification for refusing to enforce any law that the president believes to be unconstitutional,"
All the more reason to ensure that the office of the President is never occupied by an idiot. Congress should require competence tests for all potential Presidents. They could use the one given immigrants who apply for citizenship.
5
"The Republican Party will be known for health care. You watch..."
We have been; we are; we will continue.
Too bad for you and your Party, it's for all the wrong reasons.
I hope you will be remembered for ( among other things), shooting yourself in the foot. Same for McConnell and the rest of (as MAD Magazine would label the GOP), "the usual gang of idiots."
3
Obama’s justice department regularly picked which laws it wanted to defend and even to enforce.
No Democrats or liberals complained then.
Fake news
2
Dear Mr. Mob-Boss/President,
Your petulance is showing again. Given the timing, one day after Meullers' report, you ranted and are now attempting to dismantle our health care system. Shame on you. You have now secured your annals history as a despot with no class.
5
@Gary Has anyone noticed that what President Trump wants is the dismantling of everything that President Obama did such as ACA, TPP, Supreme Court nominees, Climate Changes, EPA function and on and on and on. Why is that for?.
1
@samuel a alvarez
I agree. It's shameful.
1
Let’s face it, Trump cannot stand that a Black President brought healthcare to some 20 million uninsured Americans. The ACA may not be perfect but it is working. If Trump is anything, he is probably a spoiled brat, a bigot, a racist, a con artist and an elitist (if you are poor you do not have any rights). Brings to mind the Woody Guthrie song about Trump’s father who probably passed these same tenets to his son.
5
It's real alarming. Almost as alarming as Trump's non-existent collusion with Russia.
Speaking of which, why hasn't the NY Times come out with an editorial on Mueller's conclusion re collusion? And why hasn't it come out with an editorial on Juss Smollett's corrupt avoidance of justice? Doesn't fit the meme.
So, instead, we get a scare piece on Obamacare.
We have become the United States of Abnormality. Dysfunction reigns as the least talented and most corrupt people are now in positions of power, led by the Pied Piper from Queens himself. They will gleefully follow him over the abyss, no questions asked. What a bunch of losers we have in DC ! Is it 2020 yet?
3
With this pathetic excuse for a White House and Executive Branch, up is always down, in is always out.
2
Trump just wants to be a dictator and run the country like his Russian and North Korean buddies. He and his whole gang of ner do wells need to be impeached.
3
Note to Trumpty Dumpty:
Every day, for the last 2+ years, you've done a stellar job alienating more than 2/3 of Americans.
Now, thanks to your incomprehensibly Dimwitted battle cry to bully the ACA (the same way you bully humans) into complete submission by Quashing it, you've managed, in one fell swoop, to up your alienation to at least 7/8 of Americans.
That Vast Majority of Americans are Voters, Trumpty -- Voters whom you've now effectively and entirely lost for 2020. You go prez!
3
Just more Trump chest thumping. It's a reflection of his diminutive intellect.
2
I think Trump is more interested in dismantling what serves the people and what has worked in our government as a matter of revenge and one-upmanship over Obama than actually accomplishing anything fiscally responsible. It is the act of an opportunistic radical government-obstructionist rather than a true conservative. The cost of this January's government shutdown is probably larger than any budgetary savings that would be realized by dismantling a program that helps the uninsured survive.
Why is it that those who decide the fates of the uninsured are always so well cared for? Perhaps they have zero empathy for the "other".
4
Let's for one minute suppose the Trump admin somehow gets the ACA thrown out altogether, or even just kills pre-existingwant. And millions of Americans are again without health insurance.While they will be dancing with joy, they will also insist that their hands were tied, that the fault is the Democrats' because they will not help create some shambolic replacement. After all the Republicans want that money for more tax cuts for the wealthy, it's really that simple.
4
And one would think the Republicans would have already introduced legislation to be ready in place once the ACA is declared unconstitutional. They do keep saying they want to protect people with existing conditions, don't they?
Well, maybe not.
3
The central thrust of this DOJ action is to allow the Executive Branch to nullify enacted federal legislation retroactively. If the President can direct DOJ to support a case brought against ACA, why can he not direct it to support a case brought against, say, the Civil Rights Act or Social Security Act? Indeed, why can he or she not encourage individuals or groups to bring such cases just so he or she can order DOJ to support it?
In presidential campaigns, how can anyone know which laws the candidate, if elected, might wish to undo?
9
Courts are by nature an adversarial system. For any court anywhere to properly function each party must do its proper role. When a federal law is challenged in court the function of the Attorney General's office is to advocate for that law. Barr's own opinion of the law is irrelevant.
Barr is acting like an attorney who says to a judge mid-trial "I have decided that the other party is right so I am changing sides." The system just does not work that way.
5
Scrap Obamacare and create a bipartisan Health Plan to provide universal coverage through private sector by taking the following steps: First, collect enough money and pool it in a central fund like the fund for social security today. It can be called Health Insurance Fund. Based on our analysis, it appears that there will be enough fund if we collect 10% of income up to a certain level from individuals, matching amount from employers and allocate 10% Govt. budgets at various levels for this purpose. The exact percentages and formulas to collect the required amount need to be determined based on discussion and analysis.
The second step is to determine the limit private insurance companies will cover directly and the amount of claims the Fund will reimburse to insurers directly. A limit of $50,000 per year per policy appears to be reasonable. Capping at this level is better so that large payment and pre-existing conditions can be shared by all people instead of the limited policy holders of an insurer. The Fund will pay the premium to insurance companies based on actuarial analysis to cover a limit of $50,000 for health care claims, reasonable expenses and profit. Large expenses over that limit will be reimbursed to insurance companies directly from the Health Fund after they process the claims.
This Plan is based on the existing system except the central pooling. Anybody can buy a policy from any insurance company without any regard to income or pre-existing conditions.
1
Well the problem is that people with pre existing conditions will have to join a “high risk pool” that can charge up to $1500 a month. Not many people can afford this. Medicare does not allow people on disability under the age of 65 to get a decent supplement if you live in , ironically, certain red states like Texas. Its up to the State Insurance Boards. Its a raw deal and it is discrimination against sick people thanks to the Republicans. The ACA was not perfect but helped many people. The Republican propaganda has been trying to kill it because taxes and then proceeded to give a massive tax cut to benefit the wealthiest people snd corporations. What are the priorities of the republicans? Keeping the middle class down by lying about keeping pre existing conditions during the midterms only to scuttle that now that they are re-elected. Remember Josh Hawley anyone ? As Attorney General he signed on to the Anti ACA law. He’s now a Junior Senator from Missouri trying to take the ACA down. Vote Blue in 2020 and don’t trust these right wing liars who will say anything to get elected.
506
@gretchen asbury Under the Plan I am proposing payment for health coverage depends on income. For example, a person making $50,000 will pay 10% of the income, i.e. $5000 to the Health Insurance Fund. Nothing more. This person can get a health insurance policy from any insurance company of his/her choice. My Plan is affordable, universal and simple. Everybody will be covered without regard to pre-existing condition or income level. Low income people can even get back the money when they file the tax return. Obamacare does not address many of these basic issues.
@Alex E The ACA was based on conservative think tank, Heritage Foundation's, plan. Attempting to claim anything is "bipartisan" is futile.
Additionally, a $50,000 ceiling is not reasonable for man catastrophic situations - say a preemie birth or an organ transplant.
2
Republicans in this commentary all claim that the ACA was "terrible" legislation. I agree, and almost everyone does, that the ACA was not perfect and has caused financial pain to some. But it helped more people than it hurt. It was far from "terrible."
The House has now proposed some fixes. Have Republicans, including the President, talked about negotiating a fix? No.
The insurance industry is not happy about the DOJ's support of the lawsuit in Texas. Has anyone heard from Republicans about working with the industry to come up with some ideas for a fix? No.
I expect that if the ACA is deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court 2008 redux will soon be upon us. Our entire health care system will crash. The self interested Republicans who have refused to deal with this issue for ten years are the real problem.
7
Ever since the ACA was proposed, the GOP has promised better health care legislation than the Democrats. We have been waiting for their wonderful proposal for eight years and we are still waiting. They don't have one. They never had one. They just oppose the government guaranteeing health care for everyone. They want the real "death panels" run by the insurance companies (stories of lifetime maximums ending chemo are one). Trump just wants to destroy every Obama legacy he can which is why he wants to kill it. He has no plan. He, too, promised the best health care plan when he ran. He didn't have a plan. When John McCain held out on killing it, he had no plan. He still has no plan. Three years and counting for him. Eight for the GOP.
Americans won't fall these empty promises. They do not want a "you are all on your own" insurance. I have tried comparing Medicare policies. That is daunting enough. It made me realize that insurance companies are in the business of making money. They present glowing overviews of what they cover and hide the shortcomings of their policies, like any business selling a product. So if you have money, you can buy Cadillac policies. The rest of us try to figure out how to buy policies to make ends meet while hoping we have the right coverage. God help us if we get sick in a way we did not anticipate.
Profits come first. Care for patients comes second. Who gets hurt, sick or dies in that process is not a concern. That is the GOP's real bottom line.
12
The ACA would not be controversial, if it did not pit subsidized purchasers (who got health insurance for the first time, in many cases, at very little cost) vs. the slightly better off (who pay to subsidize the first group, with dramatically increased premiums and deductibles). The latter group (mainly affluent small business people) remain furious (about the dramatic increases in their own costs), and it is to that group the Republicans are responding. The rest of the ACA (children on parents' plans until 26, pre-existing coverage limits) are political distractions. When they adopted Obamacare, without a single Republican vote, the Democrats conferred a very valuable benefit on a core Democratic constituency (i.e. the lower you go down the US income scale the higher the propensity to vote Democrat) and shifted the cost to a key Republican constituency (participants in the individual insurance market that don't qualify for subsidies). It was this enormous value-transfer, in effect a new welfare entitlement (15 years after Bill Clinton ended 'welfare as we know it'), that ensures the ACA remains in Republican cross-hairs.
5
@Richard, you impeach yourself with your comment that democrats are low income. The two biggest democratic strongholds are CA and NY-- both extremely wealthy states, full of wealthy or upper middle class people who are solid democrats. As far as voting on the ACA without a single GOP vote, that is partisanship on YOUR side. After all, the program was a Heritage Foundation designed one, and insurance companies (not exactly stuffed with rabid low income dems) had huge influence.
1
The first Congress, via the Judiciary Act of 1789, never intended what has become the Department of Justice to be a presidential tool. Trump is setting precedent here and grabbing yet more power. For checks and balances, Congress, the people's representative, must check that.
5
Prof. Bagley is right. On April 6, 1981, Attorney General William French Smith reversed a decision by his department to join in a challenge to a congressional act in the Ninth Circuit. Explaining his decision, he said the DOJ "has the duty to defend an act of Congress whenever a reasonable argument can be made in its support, even if the Attorney General and the lawyers examining the case conclude that the argument may ultimately be unsuccessful in the courts."
6
Healthcare will not be scrapped but tweaked. With the Mueller investigation behind us and President Trump being exonerated, the Republicans will be able to devote more time to fix Obamacare. It has proved to be too costly for some and could not be sustained. It is not going away but it will be more equitable for the middle class who bore the brunt of the cost.
1
@KMW
Barr's summary letter clearly states that the investigation did not exonerate the President.
3
@KMW Oh my. This is hilarious.
1
Pipe. Dream. Republicans don’t want subsidized health care. The only way to control the cost is just that. Years of republican majority brought us nothing. Wake up!
1
The Affordable Care Act is not only about health;however defined.Physical. Psychological.Spiritual.Social. It’s not only underpinned by the availability, accessibility and delivery of “care,” in a caring, timely, civil manner. It’s about achievable, sustainable types, levels and qualities of wellbeing. Of people. Of wellbeing systems. Of values, norms, ethics, morality, laws and their derived regulations without which health and wellbeing, in their broadest, consensualized sense, are neither enabled nor fostered. The Affordable Care Act is, in addition, a marker of political health. In a daily challenged democracy. Which continues to enable, and to promote, a toxic WE-THEY, HAVE-HAVE NOTS culture. Which violates. By harmful words and deeds. By regulations and laws. Gov. Roy Barnes worded the key issue bluntly:” The law should be a shield for the weak and powerless, not a club for the powerful.” Failure to defend the Affordable Care Act is an ACT of ummenschlich discrimination.
To note “that’s inconsistent with a constitutional system that assigns to Congress — not the president — the power to legislate” while true, may be irrelevant. Enabled violating anchors culture of policymakers who are personally unaccountable for their harmful words and deeds; abdicating promoting and sustaining health’s viable quality of life for their constituents. All of this being allowed by each of US in various ways.Anchoring the ACA needs the creation of the Accountable Policymaking Act.
This is what autocracy looks like. Trump is smashing the foundations of our democracy, attacking the press, denigrating institutions, and not upholding his oath of office. Those who support him in this are equally guilty, for they don't have anything to gain from this, as Trump does.
26
The GOP hasn’t been the party of health care since Nixon proposed a national health insurance plan and the early 90’s when Dole-Chaffee was introduced which later became...drum roll the ACA Obamacare.
Now they’re akin to the diabolical character played by Richard Widmark in the film Kiss of death.
12
Call me silly, but I see a civil war, with real blood, on the horizon. Any astute student of history will tell you the inflection point is always impossible to see in advance.
8
@Garrett Clay
None of us wants war, but an amicable divorce might be a good thing. If the more moderate blue states could form their own government they could re-write the Constitution in a way that protects liberal democracy. Our current system (as I posted elsewhere) is creating the groundwork for authoritarianism. Without major constitutional reform we are going to lose our democracy. But in the current environment, beneficial reform of the Constitution is impossible and any attempt to improve it is almost bound to be hijacked by the right-wing extremists resulting in something even far worse than what we have now.
4
@Garrett Clay It may be just what the doctor ordered.
2
@617to416: have wanted the USA to cease and desist for decades - it's not united and has not been for some time. It's time it ends and divides. Those of us who wish to live in a progressive modern social democracy (capitalism with a human face) need to go our separate way from the backward stifling anti everything crowd. Let the other half stew in their own suffocating juice finally.
3
Trump is seeking vengeance, against Obama primarily, but also against McCain, dead and gone, for sinking his previous efforts at killing the ACA. He has no interest in health policy, one way or the other--just an interest in satisfying his wounded ego.
The Republicans, of course, have a great interest in health policy. They want to kill it.
The fact that 20 million people will lose healthcare is not the strongest argument for fighting this--not in the era of the base base. (even if they end up the losers...) The strongest argument to make is the loss of pre-existing condition coverage for all. In the past, insurance companies used this to deny claims for pretty much anything they didn't want to pay. Their armies of lawyers would make cases that, because someone forgot to mention that they were treated for acne as an adolescent, their cancer treatment did not have to be covered. It's time the storied "American people" woke up. Trump is not your friend. The Republicans are not your friend, no matter how much they purport to love your fetuses.
24
Trump corrupts absolutely.
Voice of reason, Barr? The man who claims trump is above all laws (Constitutional and natural)? The trump-Barr coverup of the Mueller report proves what was obvious before he was confirmed by the trumplican cabal in the Senate. He was appointed precisely to disappear the report while claiming it was all Hillary's and Obama's fault - you'll see.
The sadistic fetish trump and the GOP have to harm America and its citizens - from health care to environmental care - is how they win. They keep winning by playing as vindictively dirty as they can, with real death panels sentencing vulnerable citizens to their death because lack of health care, are immigrants or are citizens blasted by a giant storm in Puerto Rico.
Weirder than the Twilight Zone, its a trumpian world where even Smollett wins, and infidelity and love between tyrants is no big deal.
There's a reason McConnell is sprinting to appoint as many judges in the mold of the Texas judge. They'll rewrite the Constitution in trump's image and they're half way there.
Crazy thing is the incurable right-wing disease that claims the ACA is destroying health care,pulls the rug out of tens of millions - including myself! - actually destroys health care we all depend on.
Remember trump's lie about healthcare for everyone including those with pre-conditions? It's no different than his promise that Mexico would pay for his egocentric wall he's stolen a billion from our military who does protect America.
15
"refusing to enforce any law that the president believes to be unconstitutional." What a chilling phrase. This is where we're headed, folks. Wake up!
13
Americans will refuse to go back to the days of no healthcare and “pre-existing conditions” in policies. It is beyond me why the Republicans would do this now except as vengeance on Obama. The GOP has become the party of vileness, revenge and divisiveness.
1019
Americans may refuse to accept this but that won’t stop the Republicans from continuing the attack. Their base loves this even if it harms them and the wealthy supporters know it won’t impact them.
89
@David
congressman from Tennessee just stated exactly your point - the people who are hurt the most by this president and his administration policies and actions are the ones hurt the most by those policies and actions.
19
@Rain
this president's base are the ones hurt the most by his policies and actions.
31
Two things should be obvious: (1) anything that has former president Obama's name attached to or connected with any law, regulation or any other aspect of American life is an anathema to Trump; (2) neither Trump nor the republic party believes in the rule of law: they insist on one set of laws/rules for themselves and another set for everyone else.
To describe this as despicable is woefully insufficient.
32
The biggest problem with our government is that the people that make the laws more than likely will not be affected by these laws.
If Congress was forced to have the same medical coverage that they rest of the citizens of this country are forced into I would bet any amount of money that our healthcare system would be vastly improved for all.
19
The poor to lower middle class are already doing what I feared would happen. They are skipping doctor's visits. The are rationing medication to the point that the medication no longer works. They are returning to the good old days that Trump wants. The days when only the rich could afford to go to a doctor.
17
Questions: (1) Under the Constitution, is the AG the person who makes such a determination? I thought a question like this was decided in the courts. (2) How is the AG even qualified to make this determination?
3
“inflict untold harm on the health care system — and on all Americans who depend on it.”
I think you and so many other pundits are missing the salient issue regarding Obama - care. It has fundamentally hurt four times the number of Americans than it supposedly has helped. It has hurt us through skyrocketing health premiums that prevent us from adequately saving for retirement, reducing our quality of life, working longer, reducing our ability to make healthy choices (food prices, activity, sedentary lifestyle), further exasperation of the gap between healthy (rich) and unhealthy (poor). The long term forecast of Obamacare will gut the health and well-being of the heart of most Americans. That is why is must to destroyed.
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@Pilot
Really? I know people who were finally able to get healthcare. Trump's meddling has already caused the prices to skyrocket.
Sorry. This harms more people by cutting coverage. Doesn't speak well for us as a nation.
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@Pilot Premiums were skyrocketing much more quickly before Obamacare, and eliminating it will only increase costs further. I agree we need to do more to bring down the cost of healthcare, but scrapping the law without a replacement will not achieve that.
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Republicans have done and continue to do everything they can to sabotage its existence. Blame them for skyrocketing premiums.
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As dangerous as President Trump and his administration are they are getting worse. Their attack on the ACA leaves one speechless. If they don't like it let them propose a viable alternative that benefits every American affected by it. But to take it away with nothing in place and leave many Americans vulnerable and at great risk, that is heinous and as far as I am concerned merits Mr. Trump's removal from office. Of course Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham and their cabal will prevent this. President Trump very clearly wants to see himself as King of America and rule by absolute decree, his own. He must be stopped come election day next year.
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@Howard Herman
That's right the whole cabal on the right reminds me of a king's court presiding over his loyal vassals and serves.
Dark Ages in Medieval Europe comes to mind.
Not only we will be dragged to imperial feudalism hundreds years back, but these criminal lords will be the ones to decide if we can get any crumbs.
Forget Medicaid, SS, Healthcare you earned through years, the cabal doesn't want you to have even a scintilla of normal human existence.
They should have the same benefits that they want to impose on all of us, better yet...
They don't even deserve their salary, they're filling their coffers with dirtiest lobbies $$$.
VOTE them all OUT!!!
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Attorney General Barr's 2 sentence letter is in line with Trump's October 2016 promise: “You're going to have such great health care at a tiny fraction of the cost. And it's going to be so easy.”
And, as we all know, that turned out to be beyond ignorant when, in 2017 (March) he said “...nobody knew health care could be so complicated.” There actually were those who did know - including President Obama.
Particularly galling is the fact that Reed O'Connor, the Bush appointed, Texas based Federal judge who ruled in the Administration's favor, has federally funded health care which is close to par with the so-called 'Cadillac' cover afforded the nation's top echelon of corporate executives.
So where is the 'terrific ' component of health care Trump promised four years ago?
If Diogenes and his lamp was around today, he'd still be searching - not only for an honest man - but for the fulfilled promises made by a patently dishonest one.
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Note to Dems: Republicans will take away health care. That is the message for 2020. Don’t get too into the weeds with this.
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He is changing the story away from the Muller investigation. Simple.
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@Ben P
We'll see what happens when it comes to the Southern District of New York.
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My meager contribution here is part of the presidential oath: “...to see that the laws be faithfully executed.”
Anyone paying attention to Donald Trump as a candidate (2015-16) and as “president” knew that he had no understanding of the oath or its importance to successful governance and of the “faithful execution of his office.”
America, in deciding for Donald Trump, tossed aside law and custom for demagoguery in a spasm of rejection and hate. That William Barr’s Department of Justice prefers not to defend but to erase laws passed by Congress is clear proof that our laws are now subject to attack and erasure.
Right before our eyes. And we let him in.
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Well, he is clearly "executing laws" just not with the meaning of "execute" that was intended by the oath.
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@Red Sox, ‘04, ‘07, ‘13, ‘18
My dear, your noteworthy comments are anything but "meager contributions".
Your assessment is spot on - again. My only minor disagreement is that I think Trump fully understands the presidential oath. He just chooses to ignore the parts that he finds distasteful or inapplicable to his life style and mindset. He's in it for just himself, regardless of how much, how deep, or how badly he ruins this country in the process.
He is this country's biggest threat and yet he is walking around, unscathed, allowed to do whatever the heck he wants, all under the guise and charade of executive privilege.
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It has been two years and the NYT is still publishing articles extolling this vain hope that a politically appointed GOP AG will be a "voice of reason," which translates to act like a Democrat. I've seen too many commentators repeat this idea, which demonstrates a lack of judgement. It isn't helping.
That said, what a gift! From 2010-2016 GOP managed to sway many of its voters to directly vote against their own self interest for and abundance of reasons. It was truly a masterclass of politics. But that support has waned, likely since the GOP "replace" part of their plan clearly does not exist.
My question is why the unforced error?
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Trump’s desire to eliminate the ACA without a plan for how to replace those protections is unexplainable. What is the logic of going down this rabbit hole again when there is no support for it? Or maybe Trump is hoping to distract us all from the conversation about releasing the full Mueller report to the public?
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Why would anyone in their right mind entertain the thought that a spoiled, silver-spoon-fed recipient of the easy life, would ever be concerned about other people's health problems? He's insured, so who needs Obamacare?
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I hope they pull the ACA away because it's going to be his supporters that will get crushed and schadenfreude is my hobby!
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@Steve I understand the sentiment of your post, but ALL of us will get crushed in the destruction of the ACA. I think many people in his base may not even realize the ACA is Obamacare.
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How is not having affordable, guaranteed healthcare not an issue that cause daily riots in our country! I’ve always been baffled that people accept $200k surgeries and cancer treatments, etc. the only way this changes is when big pharma and the Congress fear us. It’s time to storm the castle, folks. They are literally trying to kill us. At what point do we defend ourselves and fight back? Are you not worth it? Your kids? Where is our dignity? Rise!
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If there is a better reason to dump Trump and the Senate Republicans in 2020, I have not seen it yet. We don't have a President, but we do have a dictator wannabe.
Thanks to Mitch McConnell and his flock of Trump bootlickers, Trump can now flaunt the law whenever he wants. His toadi at the Justice Department is nothing more than the GOP political hack who should have stayed retired.
The good news is voters understand the health care issue. Sickness is non-partisan. Everyone needs health care.
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Cuts to Medicare and Social Security will not only affect older Americans.
Their young adult children will be horrified to see their parents without basic survival needs.
I blame religion for people voting against their own interests.
After all, religion teaches that you'll be happy and fulfilled when you're dead, ("heaven").
Napoleon said, "Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich".
How perfectly appropriate for the con man Trump to use the con of religion, with the so-called "evangelicals".
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But as that country song says, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, only nobody wants to go now”. Hypocrites abound.
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It is not about health care. It is Trump's obsession to destroy Obama's legacy.
He is a sick man who doesn't care what his proposal will do to millions of his fellow citizens. What has he really done to improve the life of the average American? O yeah, the tax cut for the wealthy 1%.
The republicans have already failed numerous times to come up with a better solution for universal health care.
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I doubt Trump understands or cares about the details of healthcare policy. I suspect this is all about Trump’s narcissism. He likely hates the fact it’s called Obamacare. Trump should just signed a resolution to rename it Trumpcare. He loves putting his name on everything. Then he wouldn’t have to repeal it.
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Not true ! The worst thing about it began prior to implementation .
The worst thing about it was the level of lying the Republicans did that turned an urgently needed thing ( affordable health insurance for employees and employers ) into a bad thing in the minds of a confused public who had no choice but to believe what was said by the Politicians who they sadly trusted .
A meeting was held on the Hill by Republicans to oppose everything President Obama tried no matter how urgent . No matter how important . No matter how right ( Google it if want ) and the result of that was unprecedented lying that continues .
So, the worst thing is the fact that lies can turn a good thing into a bad thing and the truth , and honesty , and morality , that Politicians promote to get elected has been abandoned and it's acceptable for us to have an unfit , lying , hate promoting , racist leading , President who everyone saw on film bragging that women you don't know can be kissed and grabbed by the pussycat if you have enough money and power .
The ACA has provided health insurance and therefore access to needed care for tens of millions of people , but the President who shouldn't be President will lead the public down a pit full of lies and harm . That's the worst thing .
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The rogue judge behind this decision is your typical Republican judge. He knows why he's on the bench. He faithfully carries out the mandate of the donors to the Federalist Society. And that mandate is to enforce the most radical and extreme view of capitalism, regardless of the body count. His is the capitalist equivalent of ISIS.
This judge is yet another reason for the Dems to pack the courts when they take over.
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Trump's move here has nothing to do with health care or legal strategy. It is a primitive, infantile strike at his perceived enemies. He felt persecuted and humiliated all during the Mueller investigation. Now he will exact his revenge by lashing out in rage. We are in the midst of an ongoing constitutional crisis because we have a leader in the midst of a lifelong personality disorder. The wheels and levers of the imperial presidency, in the hands of a very sick man.
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Republicans have never cared about the rule of law. It was a lie. Just as their claim to be fiscally conservative, claim not to be racist, claim to provide tax relief to the poor and middle class, claim to improve health care, claim that they are not misogynists, claim tax cuts would pay for themselves, claim that tax cuts would create well-paying jobs, claim that they are patriots, etc. Every Republican policy is a lie. They only care about rich, white, men who give them money. Take those American flag lapels off. You dishonor our country!
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