Okay. So let me get this straight. The House, the very same
group that has shut down the government and refuses to do the job at hand (of
passing a budget), has now passed a bill seeking to authorize back pay for all
furloughed workers. SERIOUSLY?!
You take the government hostage after not being able to thwart the Affordable Care Act, you put hundreds of thousands of workers out of work, you bring the government's business to a screeching halt, all the while claiming to be the sole party of fiscal responsibility and now you are basically giving furloughed workers a paid vacation to NOT WORK and do their jobs while you continue to hold the country hostage?!!
And once again folks, this is a duly passed law by the United States Congress, which means the Senate AND the House BOTH had to approve it! It has withstood a challenge in the Supreme Court. As with any law there will be those who don't like it. But the bottom line is that it does provide a means for so many more Americans to have access to health care. And yes, it's true, some folks will see their insurance rates go up. The vast majority will not. It's also true, we don't know the scope of this law, as with others, such as Medicaid/Medicare and Social Security there will surely be kinks to work out.
As for cost, maybe if we spent a little less on weapons and wars (almost 800 BILLION annually!) there'd be enough to take care of our country's people and infrastructure. It's been estimated that about 18 BILLION dollars of American money sent to Iraq to help re-build the country has simply disappeared and no one seems to know where it went! And let's not forget that Iraq has cost this country more than a TRILLION, yes I said TRILLION, dollars!! And what if the Republicans focused on job creation and living wages across the board instead of their little pork projects and instead of attacking a program geared to HELP the nation's people??!!
The Republicans have tried to repeal the law FORTY-ONE times within the framework of how our nation's laws are passed and upheld. FORT-ONE times they have failed to stop the ACA. They tried to use the courts to circumvent the law, again FAILED! And now in a last ditch effort to repeal the law or delay it they have taken our country hostage, put hundreds of thousands of people out of work and now want to cost the nation significantly more money by offering to provide back-pay to the very people they put out of work while they continue to paralyze the government!
The media keeps casting this as both parties refusing to negotiate! This is NOT about a negotiation. This is about a party that has members who have tried all legal means to get rid of the ACA and FAILED. They are defying the law making process of this country and the means to overturn disliked legislation, strapping on their six shooters and turning Congress into the Wild West with a take no prisoners mentality.
And last but not least. Here's what I personally think is the most critical thing we cannot lose sight of in this debacle. If the Tea Party faction of the Republican party is allowed to win this, the end of bi-partisanship is here, right now. It's been staggering along already, but this is surely a death knell. These guys don't care how many babies they throw out with the bathwater, they mean to win, by any means necessary. If allowed to win what will they go after next? Notoriously homophobic, anti-choice, anti-labor, anti-poor people, anti-immigrant, etc. WHAT and WHO will they put their sights on next?
Paying furloughed workers is a nice gesture, certainly one meant to hopefully curtail the heat the party is deservedly taking from this stunt. But it is not the answer. We, the American People need you to do your job and pass a clean budget. Period.
You take the government hostage after not being able to thwart the Affordable Care Act, you put hundreds of thousands of workers out of work, you bring the government's business to a screeching halt, all the while claiming to be the sole party of fiscal responsibility and now you are basically giving furloughed workers a paid vacation to NOT WORK and do their jobs while you continue to hold the country hostage?!!
And once again folks, this is a duly passed law by the United States Congress, which means the Senate AND the House BOTH had to approve it! It has withstood a challenge in the Supreme Court. As with any law there will be those who don't like it. But the bottom line is that it does provide a means for so many more Americans to have access to health care. And yes, it's true, some folks will see their insurance rates go up. The vast majority will not. It's also true, we don't know the scope of this law, as with others, such as Medicaid/Medicare and Social Security there will surely be kinks to work out.
As for cost, maybe if we spent a little less on weapons and wars (almost 800 BILLION annually!) there'd be enough to take care of our country's people and infrastructure. It's been estimated that about 18 BILLION dollars of American money sent to Iraq to help re-build the country has simply disappeared and no one seems to know where it went! And let's not forget that Iraq has cost this country more than a TRILLION, yes I said TRILLION, dollars!! And what if the Republicans focused on job creation and living wages across the board instead of their little pork projects and instead of attacking a program geared to HELP the nation's people??!!
The Republicans have tried to repeal the law FORTY-ONE times within the framework of how our nation's laws are passed and upheld. FORT-ONE times they have failed to stop the ACA. They tried to use the courts to circumvent the law, again FAILED! And now in a last ditch effort to repeal the law or delay it they have taken our country hostage, put hundreds of thousands of people out of work and now want to cost the nation significantly more money by offering to provide back-pay to the very people they put out of work while they continue to paralyze the government!
The media keeps casting this as both parties refusing to negotiate! This is NOT about a negotiation. This is about a party that has members who have tried all legal means to get rid of the ACA and FAILED. They are defying the law making process of this country and the means to overturn disliked legislation, strapping on their six shooters and turning Congress into the Wild West with a take no prisoners mentality.
And last but not least. Here's what I personally think is the most critical thing we cannot lose sight of in this debacle. If the Tea Party faction of the Republican party is allowed to win this, the end of bi-partisanship is here, right now. It's been staggering along already, but this is surely a death knell. These guys don't care how many babies they throw out with the bathwater, they mean to win, by any means necessary. If allowed to win what will they go after next? Notoriously homophobic, anti-choice, anti-labor, anti-poor people, anti-immigrant, etc. WHAT and WHO will they put their sights on next?
Paying furloughed workers is a nice gesture, certainly one meant to hopefully curtail the heat the party is deservedly taking from this stunt. But it is not the answer. We, the American People need you to do your job and pass a clean budget. Period.
No party should be allowed to get away with what these guys are up to! EVER!
And we as the American people better step it up calling them out on this.
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