OPINION:
Republicans in the Senate have delayed a vote on reform and replacement of the Democrat-owned disaster known as Obamacare.
They seriously need to get it together on this and pass something — even if that something is not a final, perfected plan. Why?
Voters will not forget this failure.
And come 2018, when Obamacare is still a talked-about issue — still a goal on the GOP’s horizon — voters, uncaring of the ins and outs of Inside-the-Beltway politicking, will only know one thing: Republicans, in the majority, betrayed them.
Their reactions will be swift and angry. Their no-votes or votes for other candidates will hand Democrats seat wins in Congress. And thus will begin the cycle once again of Republicans decrying the ability of getting anything passed because their votes are being overpowered by Democratic majorities.
Listen up, Republicans and listen good: Obamacare repeal and replace was a simple mantra and campaign message that resonated with voters and drove the conservative base to oust Democrats. These voters have been patient for years, awaiting the fulfillment of vows to toss the socialist health care plan and bring back a more free market system. And they’ve suffered in growing frustration for years as Republican leadership have stated that all that’s needed to get rid of Obamacare are GOP majorities in the House, then the Senate, then the White House.
Well, now you’ve got that.
So failure to do something about Obamacare is not an option.
Yes, health care is complicated business — but that’s not an excuse to ignore campaign promises. It’s rather a cause to make the case that government doesn’t belong in the field of health care at all, except perhaps as a watchdog on shady insurance practices.
But perhaps that ship has sailed. Republicans don’t seem the least bit interested in making that argument any longer — in insisting that health care rightly belongs in the hands of the free market and government ought to simply step aside.
So the second case scenario is to fix what Obamacare broke. And voters are waiting — impatiently.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republican leaders admitted they were short of the support needed to successfully move forward with a GOP replacement bill, and as such, delayed action until after the Fourth of July recess. Once again, the media’s filled with faces of Republicans vowing this and promising that, speaking of complexities of this and difficulties and challenges of that.
But honestly, to voters, to the conservative base that came out in full force to drive out Democrats and usher in Republican majorities, the matter isn’t any more complicated than this: You promised. Now do it.
At this point, Republicans, it’s not so much what’s passed as it is that something’s passed.
Get together on this. Pass a bill. Fine-tune it later. But get the shell of repeal and replace into the legislative coffers and onto the desk of the president. Failure to do this will ripple across the ballot boxes in 2018 — and with that will come the final win for Barack Obama. His legacy of Obamacare will remain intact, forever more.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.