OK, let’s all take a deep breath. I don’t want to stifle the outrage, believe me, I’m pissed, but we have a long road ahead. No one’s coverage has changed (yet). The ACA has not been repealed or replaced (yet). Passage in the House was only the first step so let’s all take a deep breath, maybe have a drink to drown our sorrows, and then get back to work.
At the end of this tweet is a summary of the AHCA as passed written by Tim Jost but I want to highlight a few things (you can find his analysis here).
Things to remember about the AHCA as passed by the House:
- The ACA slightly transferred some funds from the rich to the poor, but the AHCA massively transfers money from the poor to the rich. It is an $880 billion transfer from people on Medicaid to people making more than $200K a year.
- The bill passed without hearings, with the final text made available mere hours before the vote, with many members of the House saying they had not read it, and without a CBO analysis.
- There was no public support for the bill: no provider groups, no patient groups, and no hospitals came out in support of the AHCA.
- As written it may benefit a few young healthy people, but it will harm many old, sick and low-income people.
- Finally, note that supporters of the AHCA are still telling lies about the ACA – but now they are also telling lies about the AHCA (basically trying to convince people it’s not as bad as it is).
This weekend, Representatives and Senators will be returning home – they must be reminded how horrible we all think the bill is.
When they return to Washington, it’s the Senate’s turn. As of now, there are conflicting reports – some articles are saying the Senate will start from scratch, completely ignoring the bill as passed, some saying they will take the AHCA as the starting point. In either case, it will be an opportunity to change the bill.
The bill as currently conceived will also have to satisfy the reconciliation process – to pass the Senate with 51 votes instead of 60, all parts of the bill must impact the Federal budget. There are real questions if that is the case for some of the bill’s provisions. Again, an opportunity to change the bill.
If the Senate does manage to pass a bill, it is an open question as to if the new bill can get passed the House. Some of the provisions that won over the Freedom Caucus are the same provisions most likely to be changed by the Senate.
A long road and a lot of work ahead.
One more point before I stop for tonight; elections matter. We must remember those who voted for the bill in the house and do everything in our power to vote them out of office. The best way to avoid horrendous bills like this in the future is to take back Congress.
