It’s Time for Democrats to Turn the Tables on Health Care

Tom Perriello
5/24/18

Health care premiums are projected to skyrocket this year, after the Trump administration and the Republican Congress wreaked havoc on insurance markets by meddling with the Affordable Care Act. Those changes have devastated families’ budgets, and voters now seem ready to return the favor this fall, citing health care as a top issue heading into the midterm elections. In a way, this is a restoring of political order. For a generation, the promise of health care reform helped Democrats, including me, win elections. Our decision to deliver on that promise with the ACA became a political liability during the last decade. In the 2010 midterm election, I—and dozens of my Democratic colleagues in Congress—were swept out of office in the wake of our support for Obamacare, which Republicans have seized on as an issue ever since. But the past few years have produced a sea change, as people across the country enjoy the benefits of the ACA. Democrats running this year should focus not only on rebutting Republican attacks on the ACA, but on bolder health care reforms. The past year reminds voters of a simple fact—one party is fighting to secure affordable care for every American, and the other party is working to tear that care down.

The actions by this Republican Congress are costing American families hundreds of dollars a year in higher premiums, as a result of both new laws they’ve enacted and actions across the board to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. These costs are not abstract or partisan. They are felt painfully at kitchen tables across red and blue America. As voters learn more about who caused these cost spikes, they are threatening to hold accountable the 217 Republicans in the House and 49 Republicans in the Senate who have repeatedly voted to repeal the ACA. Opposition to the ACA was based largely on fears that the new policy would cost people their care—fears stoked by ludicrous criticisms and tragically poor communication by those of us who supported it. Refusing to enact a public option, and a painfully slow phase-in period, also didn’t help. But even through the misinformation and missteps, voters have consistently shown that they will vote on this issue, and they will vote out those who threaten their care. That message may once again define midterm elections and empower a new congressional majority to ensure that every American has access to affordable care.

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Rogue Valley said:

It’s Time for Democrats to Turn the Tables on Health Care

Former US Rep. Tom Perriello



Remember this on 6 November 2018 (Election Tuesday). The Congressional GOP did their damnedest to strip healthcare insurance from 24 million Americans. Trump arbitrarily terminated Cost Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments to the states, which were subsidies to health insurance companies that help pay out-of-pocket costs of low-income people. This defunding made everyone's healthcare premiums more expensive. Drug prices have skyrocketed. Last month Trump refused to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies. Doing so would have reduced drug costs for everyone. Trump elected to allow drug firms to continue their financial rape of America.

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Puigb said:

What happens on November 6th will be entirely dependent on turn out. The Republican base will vote Republican no matter what. Independents will probably lean Dem, but not enough to make a difference, IMO. The Democrat base NEEDS to come out and vote in strong numbers. If they don't, expect GOP control of Washington until 2020.

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Hawkeye10 said:

And why would D's turn out?

The old failed guard refuse to let go and I mean Bernie too, there has been no apologies for Clinton, some folks can still get it up for Obama but he has moved on and refuses to help much.

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Puigb said:

To stop Trump and the GOP from urinating all over the nation. If the Dems take over congress, Trump's presidency is basically over.

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Rogue Valley said:

It’s Time for Democrats to Turn the Tables on Health Care

Former US Rep. Tom Perriello



Remember this on 6 November 2018 (Election Tuesday). The Congressional GOP did their damnedest to strip healthcare insurance from 24 million Americans. Trump arbitrarily terminated Cost Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments to the states, which were subsidies to health insurance companies that help pay out-of-pocket costs of low-income people. This defunding made everyone's healthcare premiums more expensive. Drug prices have skyrocketed. Last month Trump refused to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies. Doing so would have reduced drug costs for everyone. Trump elected to allow drug firms to continue their financial rape of America.

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Puigb said:

To stop Trump and the GOP from urinating all over the nation. If the Dems take over congress, Trump's presidency is basically over.

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jaeger19 said:

If that is the case.. then the democrats will lose Congress in 2020. And the presidency.

Anti Trump might carry them into the congress.. but its not going to sustain them. Trump doesn't need to be stopped. He has done nothing to be stopped. I don't think he has put forth any substantive piece of legislation.

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Puigb said:

Anti Trump can easily win them the 2020 election. Trump has very little support outside of his core base, which is mostly Republicans. His approval ratings are in the gutter with everyone else. You're right though that policy wise him and the GOP have surprisingly been very incompetent. Despite having unified control over the government, the self proclaimed "greatest deal maker of all-time" has been a massive failure.

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jaeger19 said:

No it cannot. not if the democrats are in control of congress in 2018 and continue to do nothing for two years. And if they actually get things done.. it will only be by working with Trump.. its the only way to get anything done. and working with trump means bolstering trumps popularity.

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Puigb said:

Republicans did nothing throughout Obama's entire tenure other than obstruct, and despite that still held onto power. Running as the anti Bush in 2008 got the Democrats strong control of Washington at the time, and will likely work again with Trump. Of course it won't last, because since we only have two political parties to choose from, usually the American voters get tired of one party quickly and put the other in power by default.

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jaeger19 said:

Republicans did nothing during Obama and it worked because they had lots of things to fight Obama on. they had Obamacare to blast, they had the TANF bailout to blast, they had the provisions of the ARRA to blast. All things the the democrats and Obama had supported. So the republicans had something to "work against". The anti Obama because of what Obama was perceived as DOING.

What bills has Trump put forth? Trumpcare? Nope.
Immigration bills? Nope

Anti trump is based mainly on his lack of progress, and his attitude/behavior.

Democrats can't ride an "anti trump" agenda for two years.. because they don't have anything substantial from trump to fight against.

In 2008.. the Democrats ran Anti bush because of his actions in the war.. and because of lack of progress on the economy, etc.

Democrats will have to do some work to keep themselves in congress if they take congress this year. .

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Puigb said:

Trump's historically low approval ratings with everyone besides the Republican base shows an anti Trump sentiment can easily help them gain control of congress, and potentially the white house in 2020. After that, if Trump is gone, things will have to change, but for now the anti Trump sentiment works and can continue to work. Trump is a clown who has done nothing but drag the GOP into the gutter with him, and his lack of progress can only work against him.

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