Arthur Schaper: Reid and Reed’s ObamaCare Screeds
Friday, March 07, 2014
Despite Reed’s pleas to “move forward," voters in 2014 will more likely read Reed the riot act for Obamacare, believes Arthur Schaper.
She relayed that because of Obamacare, she lost her health insurance, and now her plan has become unaffordable.
While the plan which she ended up settling for cost her less in terms of monthly premiums, the out-of-pocket expenses may end up skyrocketing.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBoonstra tried to confront her Congressman, Gary Peters, about the issue, but instead of listening to her concerns, Congressman Peters impugned her credibility and attempted to silence the advertisement on Michigan television stations.
Then Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid denounced the “horror stories” about Obamacare:
"Despite all that good news, there's plenty of horror stories being told. All of them are untrue, but they're being told all over America."
For the record: Politifact’s Lie of the Year was from President Obama: “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.”
Then Boonstra punched back in another ad this week.
Would Senator Reid also say that Emilie Lamb of Tennessee is lying? What about Donna Marzullo of New Hampshire? What about the gentleman whom I met in Manhattan Beach, CA?
And as for Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, where has he been regarding Obamacare?
Check out his statements on the legislation.
In July 2013, regarding President Obama’s unilateral, unconstitutional delay of the employer mandate, Reed commented:
"This was a response to concerns – principally among the business community – that the information and the operational details would not be there. And as a result, I think the administration wisely decided to postpone for one year the mandate on employers. . .I think given the potential confusion, post-postponing it – not eliminating it – post-postponing it for a year makes sense.”
To this day, Americans, whether business owners, retirees, or entry-level workers, are confused about Obamacare. The fact that Senator Reed thought nothing of President Obama’s illegal maneuver to delay the law is also disconcerting.
Two months later, Reed asserted shortly after the opening of the federal exchanges:
“We have to stop relitigating the Affordable Care Act. It passed. It was upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court. It is open for business starting on October first, with significant interest by the public. There were three thousand page hits per minute in Rhode Island as it opened up on October First. There were two thousand calls to our call center. People who are looking for insurance to buy it in a private market place. So we have to move forward. . .”
Regarding relitigaton: President Obama has delayed one portion after another of the Affordable Care Act, and fellow Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (West Virginia) has signaled that a one year delay of the individual mandate is worth discussing. Regarding constitutionality, the Supreme Court called the Affordable Care Act a tax, even though the President and his Democratic Congressional counterparts vehemently denied this fact. And let’s not forget that the Supreme Court has handed down offensive and anti-constitutional rulings in the past ( Dred Scott, Plessy v Furgeson, Korematsu, Kelo v New London, etc)
Three thousand hits on a webpage – more people visit YouTube to listen to Justin Bieber (or watch him get arrested) How many people have signed up on Health Source RI? 16,500 (out of a state with a million plus residents), and the vast majority have purchased health insurance through Medicaid, older, childless adults whom the government will pay for. Hardly sustainable, although Rhode Island’s numbers have exceeded federal expectations. As for small businesses, only 100 out of the 30,000 listed in the state have signed on.
Hmm . . .
Reed still stands by Obamacare, however, but he is also a member of the Obamacare Dozen, per the Wall Street Journal, who are scrambling for cover following the disastrous rollout of Obamacare, and the terrible impact the law has had on insured, insurance carriers, as well as hospitals and medical professionals.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid remains confident that the Democrats will hold the senate in 2014, even though Chris Matthews is getting a tingle, but not the good kind, about Dem prospects, and other reports have confirmed that Dems are giving up any chance of getting back the House.
While most politicos are focused on Democratic senators in red states, who will likely face a shellacking similar to House Democrats in 2010, Rhode Island’s Senator Reed seems to be safe, so far. Unless, of course, a Republican challenger hammers him over and over for the disastrous consequences of a law which he claimed was passed and upheld, yet even know Democratic Senators want to flee from, lest they lose their seats in 2014, and Senator Reid lose his majority leader status.
Despite Reed’s pleas to “move forward” and Reid’s screeds of “They’re lying”, voters in 2014 will more likely read Reed and Reid the riot act for Obamacare.
Next week, I will share with you horror stories from Rhode Islanders who have seen the negative effects of the program, and who also fear the negative future impact of the law to come.
Arthur Christopher Schaper is a teacher-turned-writer on topics both timeless and timely; political, cultural, and eternal. A life-long Southern California resident, Arthur currently lives in Torrance. Follow him on Twitter @ArthurCSchaper, reach him at [email protected], and read more at Schaper's Corner and As He Is, So Are We Ministries.
Related Slideshow: 13 Biggest Healthcare Stories in RI in 2013
The most import stories from one of the most historic years in memory for Rhode Island healthcare.
13 Doctors Behaving Badly
12 Staying Healthy + Fit
11 Well-Being Index
10 Retail Insurance
9 A Healthier You in 2013
8 RI’s Sexual Health
7 Deloitte's Big Contract
6 Non-Profit Hospital CEO
5 Healthiest Counties-
4 Health Exchange Rebrand 
3 Heart Health-
2 Health Exchange Launch 
1 Patients Rank Hospitals
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