Patterico's Pontifications

3/24/2017

Paul Ryan: There Is A Path To Repealing ObamaCare Without 60 Votes In The Senate

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 8:59 pm



OK, I admit it: I cheated a little bit in the headline, by quoting Paul Ryan from 2016, rather than Paul “We’re Done Here” Ryan from 2017. But the principle is the same, even if the GOP wants to pretend it’s now impossible:

“It’s no surprise that someone named Obama vetoed a bill repealing Obamacare,” Ryan said in a statement.

“But here’s the thing. The idea that Obamacare is the law of the land for good is a myth. This law will collapse under its own weight, or it will be repealed. Because all those rules and procedures Senate Democrats have used to block us from doing this? That’s all history,” he added. “We have now shown that there is a clear path to repealing Obamacare without 60 votes in the Senate. So, next year, if we’re sending this bill to a Republican president, it will get signed into law.”

It’s next year, Paul Ryan. It’s next year, right now. You have a Republican president.

Send him the same bill. He’ll have no choice but to sign it into law.

Thanks to commenter JoeofPa.

[Cross-posted at RedState and The Jury Talks Back.]

GOP Lawmaker: Previous ObamaCare Repeal Votes Were a Fraud

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:09 pm



Yup, this is pretty clear.

If the quote from Rep. Joe Barton isn’t showing up properly in your browser, I’ll repeat it. It deserves to be repeated anyway.

Reporters asked why, after Republicans held dozens of nearly-unanimous votes to repeal ObamaCare under President Obama, they were getting cold feet now that they control the levers of power.

“Sometimes you’re playing Fantasy Football and sometimes you’re in the real game,” he admitted. “We knew the President, if we could get a repeal bill to his desk, it would almost certainly be vetoed. This time we knew if it got to the President’s desk it would be signed.”

That’s about as blatant an admission of political fraud as you are ever likely to see.

Confirming that this was kabuki are Paul Ryan’s and Donald Trump’s reactions. Paul Ryan says they’re moving on from health care. After a very, very, very short effort. Trump is glad he got it out of the way:

Frauds. Charlatans. Liars.

I can’t exit the post without some reminders of how easy it was going to be:

And this:

My first day in office I’m going to ask Congress to put a bill on my desk getting rid of this disastrous law, and replacing it with reforms that expand choice, freedom, affordability. You’re going to have such great health care at a tiny fraction of the cost, and it’s gonna be so easy.

Con artists.

Today’s lack of a vote was glorious. We avoided a disaster. But giving up now? Unforgivable.

Pass the real repeal you promised.

[Cross-posted at RedState and The Jury Talks Back.]

I Hope He Fails

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:15 am



As President Trump tries to strongarm Freedom Caucus members into voting for TrumpCare, I have just one thing to say:

I hope he fails.

Those words might sound familiar if you were following politics eight years ago. You youngsters may have to Google it.

Naturally, I want Donald Trump to succeed at the things he seeks to do that limit government and restore freedom. Appointing excellent Supreme Court justices and slashing regulation are some of the things I hope he succeeds in doing — and so far, so good.

But when it comes to putting political pressure on the few people in Congress who are for freedom, to get them to vote for TrumpCare, I do not want him to succeed.

TrumpCare retains the basic conceit of ObamaCare: that health care can be centrally planned. It must be voted down.

And then the GOP must deliver on what they promised: full repeal.

I want the country to succeed. And so, in this endeavor, I hope he fails.

[Cross-posted at RedState and The Jury Talks Back.]


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