Ted Cruz Just Stuck A Fork In The Graham-Cassidy ObamaCare Repeal/Replace Bill

[Emjay]

The Graham-Cassidy bill that is supposed to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with something less horrible has been on life support ever since Senator John McCain decided to vote against it because the Democrats didn’t like it (I am not making that up). Today it officially died.

Sen. Ted Cruz said today that he doesn’t support the latest Obamacare repeal plan drafted by Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham and suggested that the proposal also lacks the vote of Sen. Mike Lee.

The Texas Republican said at the Texas Tribune festival in Austin that he and Lee had offered amendments to the Graham-Cassidy proposal that would go further to bring down Obamacare premiums but that the changes weren’t included in the latest draft of the bill.

Health care is not my thing but my overarching observation in this debate is that it is obvious that few, if any, of the participants understand how insurance works. If you think pre-existing conditions should be covered and you don’t want to use the force of the government to make people buy a product they neither want nor need, you might very well be one of them.

 Any plan based on the purchase of health insurance simply can’t work without a massive infusion of federal money to cover the insurance losses or the coerced purchase of insurance products that are financially inappropriate for them. At that point, we are at single-payer lite.

Be that as it may, we are here. Right now the best hope I see is to allow ObamaCare to fail in an utterly spectacular fashion and try to build something from the ashes. And that something, hopefully, will be built without federal influence.

https://www.redstate.com/streiff/2017/09/24/can-stick-fork-graham-cassidy-obamacare-repealreplace-bill/

[Emjay]

Okay, and now it's over.

[Elderberry]

Do it right, or don't do it at all.

[corbe]

   Thank you Sen. Cruz and @Emjay for posting this.  I had just figured Cruz was laying low because his reelection was first and foremost on his mind and he didn't want to pizz off Trump and get an unwelcome primary opponent from the GOP side, like Moore in Alabama has done.

Added @TomSea (after all what is a Cruz thread without that neverCruzer Tom here?)

[TomSea]

It's not surprising that once, Rand Paul took the initial fire for this and flak for this, then Ted Cruz will piggy-back on the cause.

[catfish1957]

It's not surprising that once, Rand Paul took the initial fire for this and flak for this, then Ted Cruz will piggy-back on the cause.

You're calling Cruz a coward?  I knew you slept through the primaries.

[corbe]

   Thank you for not disappointing @TomSea

[Emjay]

You're calling Cruz a coward?  I knew you slept through the primaries.

Once again, catfish, the mere mention of Ted Cruz's name wakes up the Cruz haters from whatever cave they are sleeping in.

As for me, I kinda go along with Senator Cruz because he and Mike are two of the people I trust in the Senate.

[Emjay]

   Thank you Sen. Cruz and @Emjay for posting this.  I had just figured Cruz was laying low because his reelection was first and foremost on his mind and he didn't want to pizz off Trump and get an unwelcome primary opponent from the GOP side, like Moore in Alabama has done.

Added @TomSea (after all what is a Cruz thread without that neverCruzer Tom here?)

Well, dammit, I thought the very mention of Ted Cruz had waked up Tom and now I find out that you did it.

So much for magic.

[Sanguine]

It's not surprising that once, Rand Paul took the initial fire for this and flak for this, then Ted Cruz will piggy-back on the cause.

 

[corbe]

   Tom knows I'm just trolling him, in FUN, I like the guy, he co host the Music Thread and does a damn fine job over there.

[catfish1957]

Well, dammit, I thought the very mention of Ted Cruz had waked up Tom and now I find out that you did it.

So much for magic.

Most of Trump faction here have at least some level of rationality.  TomC OTOH, is near brain dead in his devotion to "the a color that shall not be named" One.

[XenaLee]

The Graham-Cassidy bill that is supposed to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with something less horrible has been on life support ever since Senator John McCain decided to vote against it because the Democrats didn’t like it (I am not making that up). Today it officially died.

Sen. Ted Cruz said today that he doesn’t support the latest Obamacare repeal plan drafted by Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham and suggested that the proposal also lacks the vote of Sen. Mike Lee.

The Texas Republican said at the Texas Tribune festival in Austin that he and Lee had offered amendments to the Graham-Cassidy proposal that would go further to bring down Obamacare premiums but that the changes weren’t included in the latest draft of the bill.

Health care is not my thing but my overarching observation in this debate is that it is obvious that few, if any, of the participants understand how insurance works. If you think pre-existing conditions should be covered and you don’t want to use the force of the government to make people buy a product they neither want nor need, you might very well be one of them.

 Any plan based on the purchase of health insurance simply can’t work without a massive infusion of federal money to cover the insurance losses or the coerced purchase of insurance products that are financially inappropriate for them. At that point, we are at single-payer lite.

Be that as it may, we are here. Right now the best hope I see is to allow ObamaCare to fail in an utterly spectacular fashion and try to build something from the ashes. And that something, hopefully, will be built without federal influence.

https://www.redstate.com/streiff/2017/09/24/can-stick-fork-graham-cassidy-obamacare-repealreplace-bill/

Which is.... exactly what some of us have been saying all along... right here at TBR.  Don't prop it up, don't patch it up, don't even attempt to "fix" it.  You can't.  The end result was government-controlled healthcare from the start by Democrats.  Any attempt to repair it is just going along with the rats.

[catfish1957]

Which is.... exactly what some of us have been saying all along... right here at TBR.  Don't prop it up, don't patch it up, don't even attempt to "fix" it.  You can't.  The end result was government-controlled healthcare from the start by Democrats.  Any attempt to repair it is just going along with the rats.

Yep, a run away train is what it is.......   A Run away train.   Obama permanently screwed this country.

[XenaLee]

Yep, a run away train is what it is.......   A Run away train.   Obama permanently screwed this country.

And don't look now..... but he's still tryin and screwin us.... from the sidelines.

[jpsb]

   Thank you for not disappointing @TomSea

Well he @TomSea is right. Just the other day yall were heaping praise on Cruz/Lee for their  apparent support of Gramn/whatever and basting Paul. LOL, oh what an ironic turn of events. Even I started to doubt Paul, based largely on Cruz/Lee being for the bill. Rand Paul I am sorry I allow doubt to slip into my mind.

[musiclady]

Which is.... exactly what some of us have been saying all along... right here at TBR.  Don't prop it up, don't patch it up, don't even attempt to "fix" it.  You can't.  The end result was government-controlled healthcare from the start by Democrats.  Any attempt to repair it is just going along with the rats.

AMEN, @XenaLee !!

Throw the whole thing out.  It's poison, and you can't "fix" poison.

[corbe]

   Link Please @jpsb I don't recall Cruz saying ANYTHING about the Graham/Cassidy Bill, and I don't recall any Cruzers praising him for his silence about it either. He's been MIA on this whole health care debate since McConnell stripped out his amendment in the earlier reincarnation of this rename/resuscitate charade.

[catfish1957]

Well he @TomSea is right. Just the other day yall were heaping praise on Cruz/Lee for their  apparent support of Gramn/whatever and basting Paul. LOL, oh what an ironic turn of events. Even I started to doubt Paul, based largely on Cruz/Lee being for the bill. Rand Paul I am sorry I allow doubt to slip into my mind.

You missed the point.  TomC basically called Cruz a coward.  Which, I will add is utter bs.

[jpsb]

You missed the point.  TomC basically called Cruz a coward.  Which, I will add is utter bs.

That is taking things a little to far, he let Paul take the heat, that is not being a coward, that is being smart politically.

[jpsb]

   Link Please @jpsb I don't recall Cruz saying ANYTHING about the Graham/Cassidy Bill, and I don't recall any Cruzers praising him for his silence about it either. He's been MIA on this whole health care debate since McConnell stripped out his amendment in the earlier reincarnation of this rename/resuscitate charade.

I am currently battling dozens of progressives on twitter over the "take a knee thing". I'll get back to you when I have the time to look for the threads.

[corbe]

That is taking things a little to far, he let Paul take the heat, that is not being a coward, that is being smart politically.

@jpsb
   Cruz and Lee had nothing to do with Paul or McCain stepping out on this last week, that was Paul wanting publicity and he got it.
   It's two different styles of leadership entirely. The vote was gonna be next week, now as @Emjay says it's DOA.

[Emjay]

Well he @TomSea is right. Just the other day yall were heaping praise on Cruz/Lee for their  apparent support of Gramn/whatever and basting Paul. LOL, oh what an ironic turn of events. Even I started to doubt Paul, based largely on Cruz/Lee being for the bill. Rand Paul I am sorry I allow doubt to slip into my mind.

Hold on now.  (Remember when that was Levin's name on TOS?)  Anyway, I believe you are wrong.  I was waiting to see what Cruz said about the bill and, if you read the story, he had made an amendment that would have made it palatable but the amendment was not included in the final bill and therefore he couldn't support it.

As for Rand Paul, agree with him or not, but he's an all or nothing guy on this health care thing as are some other people who are convinced Obamacare will self-destruct.

I wish I could be convinced of that.

[corbe]

I am currently battling dozens of progressives on twitter over the "take a knee thing". I'll get back to you when I have the time to look for the threads.

   Don't waste your time, @jpsb I just looked, there are NO LINKS.

[Emjay]

That is taking things a little to far, he let Paul take the heat, that is not being a coward, that is being smart politically.

Well, scuse me, but that's wrong also.  Cruz was waiting to see if they would include his amendment.  Rand Paul had nothing to do with Cruz' decision.  Cruz is willing to pass a bill if it actually helps enough to be worthwhile.  Rand Paul is not.