There is so much mud-slinging and myth spreading swirling around the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Washington right now, it’s hard to see what is real, and what is simply political posturing.
What I do know is there are some problems with the ACA. I will not be one of those Democrats who refuse to admit, or even see, that there are important issues that need to be addressed. And quite frankly, they need to be fixed right now.
As I said recently on the House Floor, what is happening right now in the partisan attacks reminds me of a story when I was once riding in my son’s car. I had gone to visit him while he was in college. I was riding in the front, passenger seat of his car, as he drove into an intersection, and the car died. It had run out of gas. Was I frustrated with what was happening? You bet I was. Could we have sat there, in the car, in the middle of the intersection, and started bickering about why we were having this problem? You bet we could have.
But the more sensible and productive thing to do at the time, seemed to be getting his car to safety, fixing the problem, and moving on. There would be time for bickering and finger pointing later.
When it comes to the Affordable Care Act, we need to stop arguing in the intersection and fix the problems. And while I know there are some, I also know there are millions of Americans who are in desperate need of affordable health insurance. There are women who are in need of preventive services. There are adult children who are in need of coverage through their parents. There are senior citizens who are in need of hundreds, if not thousands, in savings each year on prescription drugs.
Not to mention that for decades now, insurance premiums have been skyrocketing for many middle-class families. A new report, prepared by the Council of Economic Advisors, credits ACA in part, for the lowest health care cost growth since 2010.
Sometimes, working together to get the job done, is the best and most beneficial course of action for all involved. There will be time for arguing later.
1 comment:
Mr Cleaver's sudden righteousness about the ACA would be humorous if it wasn't so sad and predictable. Let's take his cute parable a little further...
He was firmly on board with the ACA, riding in his son's car with not a fear in the world, even though the car hadn't been safety inspected in years, smoked and leaked fluids, had the belts showing through tires, and took multiple efforts to start every time it was needed to go somewhere. It also had a history of sputtering and dying, but it had always been somewhere low profile, like a parking lot or a gravel drive. He could look over at the one gauge that worked, the fuel gauge, and see that it was on empty. In his analogy, let's assume he said something to his son, (but we all know he didn't) about needing gas and warning him that he was going to run out of gas, but the son laughed at him, and made fun of him for worrying about something so stupid as a little gas! And besides, he didn't have any money to buy gas anyway. He didn't have a job, so his dad had been giving him money for gas and insurance, although sometimes he didn't spend that money on what he was supposed to.
So Cleaver got into this POS car, knowing it was a hazard on the road, knowing it was probably going to run out of gas, with a driver that didn't give a rat's behind about what might happen, and didn't have any money to buy gas or call a tow truck if it broke down. And then, when it ran out of gas, in the middle of the intersection, Cleaver had a choice. He could get out and push the car while his son sat in the seat, yelling instructions out the window and steering, and then pay for the gas for the POS car forever, because the son didn't want to work and knew his dad would take care of him.
Or, he could look at his son and say, "I told you this would happen, and you will never learn to take care of yourself if you don't learn a lesson", and get out and walk away.
I guess we know what ol' Emanuel chose to do, don't we?
Tracy Crider
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