Republicans are openly hoping that Democrats will clean up the mess after they pass a health care law that results in million of Americans losing coverage.
The New York Times reported over the weekend that Republicans are moving forward with plans to replaces the Affordable Care Act even though voters in red states are expected to be hit hard by the changes.
“If you ask someone to give up something, there will be resentment,” Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-TX), chairman of the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health, told the Times. “If that claims my congressional career, so be it. It will be worth it to me to have effected this change.”
Regardless of warnings from experts that millions could lose coverage, Republicans are pressing forward with the belief that Democrats will one day help fix the mess they created, the paper said.
"Ultimately, Republicans are counting on Democrats to step in and help repair what even Republicans anticipate as upheaval if a repeal measure is passed without a broad remake of American health care," the Times noted. "Republican leaders have made no effort to hide the strategy."
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) explained the plan last week that would begin with allowing Republicans to vote to repeal the majority of the Affordable Care Act. It would be Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price's job to use his new powers to stabilize the insurance markets. Ryan suggested that House leadership wold then pressure Democrats to vote for additional fixes to the law.
"A growing chorus of Republican policy experts and senators are pleading to slow the process down or risk a political blood bath," the Times observes. "For health policy experts, liberal and conservative, the rush to enact a measure that even its authors concede is incomplete is dangerous."
Read the entire report here.
