Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ02) broke several weeks of silence on her position on the American Health Care Act, the GOP’s replacement of the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare), by announcing yesterday that she not only supports the AHCA, but is taking credit for several new elements in the bill.
In a prepared statement released yesterday, McSally called the Affordable Care Act “an unmitigated disaster in Arizona—leaving us without real choices statewide.
“The exchanges for 14 of the state’s 15 counties are devoid of competition because they are left with only a single insurer selling coverage,” McSally said. “However, the transition to new system will take time and those on Medicaid and ACA exchanges deserve continuity and stability during the transition. Over the past weeks, I have proposed detailed, specific changes to the AHCA that would provide better coverage and a stable transition for seniors, the disabled, children, and middle class families. Through lengthy negotiations with House leadership and the executive branch, I am pleased to have played a role in moving this bill in the right direction.”
McSally’s support for the legislation earned her praise from House Speaker Paul Ryan (who said McSally’s “unwavering commitment to her constituents and her tenacity throughout the negotiating process has led to positive changes and I believe this is a better bill as a result of her involvement”) and even a shoutout from President Donald Trump himself.
There have been changes to the legislation ahead of a rush to a vote on Thursday, March 23. They include $75 billion in tax credits for older Americans, who are projected to see their healthcare premiums skyrocket under the legislation. (How exactly that $75 billion will be doled out isn’t spelled out in the legislation; instead, the Senate is supposed to figure that part out); turning Medicaid into a block-grant for states and allowing a requirement that able-bodied adults work if they want to have Medicaid coverage; and a faster repeal of taxes related to the Affordable Care Act. You can read more about the changes here if you’re feeling wonky.
McSally’s enthusiasm for the latest version of the legislation isn’t shared by all of her GOP colleagues. It’s coming down to white-knuckle time on Capitol Hill as tomorrow’s vote on this legislation approaches—and it appears that the conservatives in the Freedom Caucus still aren’t on board. As The Hill reports:
Speaking to reporters outside a Freedom Caucus meeting after a White House meeting, the group called on leaders to start over on ObamaCare, saying the replacement bill does not have the votes to pass Thursday.
“The opposition is still strong,” said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the group.
“They don’t have the votes to pass this tomorrow. We believe that they need to start over and do a bill that actually reduces premiums.”
Meanwhile, a new Morning Consult poll shows the legislation’s popularity continues to plummet:
Since the Congressional Budget Office released its cost estimate of the Obamacare alternative last week, showing steep coverage losses, the legislation’s approval rating has dipped six points, from 46 percent to 40 percent. Obamacare’s approval rating, on the other hand, sits at 46 percent, as it did in February.
McSally has made a career of refusing to go out on a limb for controversial legislation. You have to wonder why she picked this slender branch to get out ahead of an issue.
This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2017.
She and about a hundred other GOP reps demanded these changes to keep their constituents quiet.
#rememberitin2018
She didn’t have to walk the plank on this. Other GOP Reps have been willing to stand up to Trump and Ryan to protect their constituents. Here’s Rep. LoBiondi of NJ: “Simply put, this bill does not meet the standards of what was promised; it is not as good as or better than what we currently have. Accordingly, I will vote no on this healthcare plan.”
“You have to wonder why…” I suppose the obvious answer is she was offered a political plum in return. I just hope, for her sake, it was more than a letter from Paul Ryan suitable for framing. What’s the going rate for betraying the public trust?
Still waiting for her to tell us who her constituents are…
She’s despicable. Doesn’t care at all about anything but herself.
Economic genocide anyone?
McSally is in peril of losing the 2018 election if she continues to link herself with President Trump. That “shout-out” did her NO favors.
McSally won her position by a slim margin. She must think her constituents are people from Phoenix because in Tucson that behavior will not fly. I don’t really see her enjoying her job that much anyway so I refuse to feel sorry for someone siding with a traitor against the people that have employed her.
Basic fundamentals should be part of any health care in this country. 1. Everyone should be covered, since every living human needs health care at some point in life. 2. Everyone should contribute to their health care, based on their ability to pay. 3. Everything essential to life should be covered, including preventative measures. 4. Elected plastic surgery is not covered. 5. Drugs must affordable.
She won’t get my vote again, nor will any politician who supports this assinine ACT. They are betting on the ignorance of their constituents who won’t take the time to see how wrong this is. The Republicans are no where close to having their ACT together to take care of the public. If we have to accept what they do then they should have to live by the same rules, now that’s a joke.
Can’t wait! Thanks to that POS Obama and his brainchild, my rate has increased 100% over the last 6 years.
“unwavering commitment to her constituents?” Hilarious.
I’m guessing there is a slim chance Republicare will make it through the house. I’m betting it will be shot down in the senate. If these scenarios play out, the Trump administration and the Republicans in congress will become victims of a possibly paralyzing self-inflicted wound. Repeal and Replace made for a great rallying call during the campaigns but now, like so much of Trump’s sturm und drang, reality steps in and the hard work of governing becomes the order of the day over endless campaigning and ego-inflating rallies.
The newest volume of the great American Tragedy is the specter of the opposition’s (what remains of the Democratic Party) whimpering on the sidelines still dazed by the thrashings they’ve received in the latest presidential, congressional, gubernatorial and state legislative elections. Political heroes seem to be emerging but from the ranks of the Republican congress increasingly disgusted by the new administration and its anti-American actions, cabinet appointments, executive orders, proposed budgets and hare-brained legislation. We are in the privileged position of watching the two members of the American duopoly implode. The Democrats and Republicans will survive in some form but will continue to be drained of membership and together represent a minority of voters. That’s when the fun begins.
McSally should know the reason there are problems with the ACA is that John Roberts let individual states refuse medicaid expansion, thereby devastating the insurance pool, and still the premiums were lower than before the ACA. They chipped away at it, including the insane decision that Hobby Lobby could refuse reproductive care in spite of the fact that they actually owned stock in those companies, and republicans spent upwards of $50 million trying to kill it instead of helping to fix it the way the democrats kept inviting them to do. She’s quite the little leader, falling into line with the orange lemmings. Some leadership skills.
And a room full of old white men are talking about repealing maternity coverage mandates. Last I heard every white man in that room in the White House had a mother needing maternity care, and you can bet every white man in that room has a spouse needing maternity coverage. Whatever they all have for maternity coverage, should be for every person in the United States.
Everyone remember this when it’s time to vote again-Please.
As long as for-profit insurance corporations are really the ones in control with no public options, there will always be increasing rates no matter who is in office or who needs health care the most. I fault McSally and many, many others in DC for avoiding this central problem. Insurance companies want to keep receiving your premiums, but they do not want you to ever get too sick because it is too expensive. Worse – they are consolidating into a few huge monster corporations that will most assuredly lobby office holders and spend millions of that premium money instead of figuring out better care.