After failing to ditch ACA, GOP drops fight from campaigns

[DonViejo]

Source: Axios




Haley Britzky 24 mins ago

The Washington Post reports that "[f]or the first time in nearly a decade," the GOP isn't touting its attack plan of repeal and replace on Obamacare.

The big picture: Per the Post, "for four straight election cycles," Republicans used their fight against Obamacare as a centerpiece to their campaigns. That promise also brought in loads of money from conservative groups. But after winning the White House and taking majority in Congress, they were unable to follow through. As health insurance takes a front seat in the midterm election, Republicans are focusing instead on individual pieces of Obamacare, instead of repealing it in its entirety, the Post reports.

Rep. Tom MacArthur, who played a key role in the ACA rollback bill that passed the House, told the Post that Republicans "probably can't talk credibly about repeal and replace anymore."

But some Republicans are still focused on it. Per the Post, Sen. Ted Cruz said repeal and replace is "a promise virtually every Republican made to voters," and that they need to "finish the job."

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Read more: https://www.axios.com/republicans-repeal-and-replace-ef73fbbe-986f-4191-acf8-603dd6973476.html?utm_source=sidebar

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Their efforts to kill the poor are on hold for now between this and that murderer Ryan

retiring.

Yes murderer, when you dedicate your life to taking HC and food from the poor you are nothing else.

[sandensea]

3. Wouldn't want to be him in the next life.

Or any GOPee lawmaker, really.

[n2doc]

2. I think they saw the writing on the wall

Voters, when faced with the prospect of an actual repeal, and replace with nothing, didn't like it at all, and voted against republicans because of it.

[riversedge]

4. I hope the voters of Texas put Cruz out to pasture--a dry tx pasture!

[lastlib]

12. ...on a cactus......

--a 12-foot-tall saguaro cactus. (leading with the preferred portion of his anatomy.....)

[Freddie]

5. We have to make this a big campaign issue this fall

I heard the question so many times - "they had 7 years to come up with a replacement" - the simple truth was they did not want a replacement at all, they just wanted to go back to the the "old way". When your health care was totally at the mercy of your employer. Needed a private plan and had a pre-existing condition (and everyone over 40 does) - oh well too bad, feel free to go bankrupt and die. And so many other things that were inhumane and wrong about the "good old days" that they want to bring back. The ACA sure as heck isn't perfect but it opened people's eyes to just how bad things were and were one vote away from being again.

[silverweb]

7. Exactly.

They know the idea of Medicare for All is catching on in a big way, so they want to drop the healthcare debate completely and hope it's forgotten during the campaign. We can't let that happen. It has to be front and center.

[DBoon]

8. They are very fond of indentured servitude

Breaking the link between your employee and your health insurance makes you less dependent on your employer.

This makes Republicans sad.

[Salviati]

9. Now that they've dropped that from their press...

It's the time that democrats accuse them of wanting to do it anyway. Get them on record either still attacking it, or better yet supporting it. Not because I'd trust anything they say in support of it, but it would erode their support with their frothing at the mouth base.

[Yavin4]

10. So, what are they going to run on?

What's left of their agenda?

[BigmanPigman]

11. Killing Medicaid, social security and reducing medical

and deporting immigrants.

[malthaussen]

14. They never could talk "credibly" about it.

It says much that some reps think that even the con won't work anymore.

-- Mal