The Fight Against the BHCA/AHCA: The Future of Healthcare and Medicare For All

On Tuesday , Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell put forth a motion to proceed on debate and amending HR.1628.  Which means the final version of the bill is expected to be voted on later this week or beginning next week, unless it is rushed up the docket to push a cloture vote. However, according to many Senator’s offices, it is highly unlikely, since they may not have enough votes to get to 60. Democrats are expected to vote no on the debate measure,  but Democrats require three Republicans to vote ‘nay’ with them in order to stop the motion to debate and amend.

With a historic amount of calls, letters, and e-mails to Senators and Representatives to stop HR.1628 (the American HealthCare Act / Better Care Reconciliation Act), prominent conservative senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Lee (R-UT) & Rand Paul (R-KY) stopped the bill dead in its tracks when they believed the bill was not draconian enough and didn’t go far enough in taking people off of their healthcare.  It was believed the bill was not going to a vote anytime soon since it would not have the votes to survive the US Senate.  Since Democrats are continuing to stay on the defensive for their signature healthcare plan, it’s time for them to start thinking for the long-term. Democrats will not likely be taking the bi-partisan route in trying to repeal the bill that keeps the party still relevant in these times of party divide and growing concerns regarding the route the party will take for 2018.  That is why it’s time for them to get in line for a policy people support more than the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

With the GOP’s current policy of stopping at nothing, and using their 2015 attempt for Repeal when Obama was still in office, they are hopeful that they can get it signed in the Trump Administration.  But with current disloyalty from many Republicans who want a hard right turn to the bill, or where some Republicans believe this bill is too harsh to begin with, which was similar to the House Freedom Caucus’, and more “moderate House GOP” demands when it was still in the House.  Today’s vote is pivotal to what will happen to the Affordable Care Act.  As a former recipient of the Affordable Care Act, seeing this ruse happening all over again truly scares me.  When people are there suffering because they can’t afford insurance how are we going to progress as a nation?  How are we going to stand complicit when Democratic leaders believe they will ever get a “bipartisan” measure if the GOP very rarely tries to get democratic votes.  We are wasting our time trying to get support from the Freedom caucus since their ultimate goal is to repeal Obamacare.  Why are we continuing to try to appease the radical right if they want blood from the people, if they want to see no one covered?

We need Medicare for all; we need a single payer system.  How can we continue to go back and forth with fallacies that the GOP believes that people receiving healthcare is a handout?  As strange as it sounds, we need to challenge Republicans to vote for change.  We need to make sure they are going to get removed if they don’t support. With Nancy Pelosi, we aren’t going anywhere in progress, and Democrats are losing power the more they concede and not fight for what is theirs.  When people are actually in favor for government run healthcare at 58%, the left is preferred.  How the hell are we standing still and not taking up this advantage of public support?  It truly baffles me with the lack of common sense many establishment Democrats think will help their cause.  The Political Revolution stands with the Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act, championed by the Democrats, but it’s time for us to look for something stronger.  If the motion fails, or if it fails at the final roll call vote, that  means it’s a small victory in this major battle.  But we need a strategy at fighting the GOP when we start taking up HR.676.  The GOP uses whatever techniques to taunt the Democrats into backing down, Democrats need to take up hardball strategies and fight.  We need to call out the Republicans while they are talking on the floor for lying, we need to show them, if they want a fight, the Democrats will give them hell back.

When the Republicans were the minority in the US Senate, Mitch McConnell was still able to get in the way of many things the Democrats were trying to pass.  Because the Republicans knew how to strong arm the Democrats, we are now in the minority, and if we don’t show we can strong arm Republicans, Democrats have a chance at taking back Congress.  Because when we take down the GOP and their fighting strategies, even if we are  in the minority party, we can finally use the people’s anger and get Single Payer healthcare passed.  The Democrats need to realize that they have the people and manpower, and that this country is center-left. Why aren’t we taking advantage of it?

We wrote so many letters, sent so many emails, called so many offices, and we now need to use the same anger in support of single payer.  I may be preaching to the choir in saying this, but the longer we wait, the greater risk we run of losing our chance to pass a Medicare For All bill.  It’s time for us to continue going to the town halls, and rallies of establishment Democrats and Republicans who haven’t signed on to Single Payer. We make sure that they know that if they do not support Single Payer, they may be out of a job.  If politicians are getting “handouts” by getting taxpayer paid healthcare, and the people who suffer and work to barely get by have to pay for healthcare for 535 voting members of “the people’s Congress”, what does that say?  It is a good feeling to see in circumstances like this, and despite my massive criticism of the GOP, I am happy that Ms. Collins and Murkowski, see that this bill is atrocious and despite the fact they are on the other side of the aisle, they have some sense in stopping this bill in its tracks.  unfortunately, one more is needed to ensure it will not go to debate, and maybe the GOP will stop attempting to vote to end a flawed, but working healthcare plan that has helped so many people.  That has helped my family when we were affected during the time we were at a low point.  Seeing 52 senators still supportive of this bill is what is wrong with this nation.  They have shown that they are willing to put party over people, but put their corporate donors over people. Single-Payer, and an amendment to get money out of politics is what we need to bring actual reforms to a nation in crisis.

Written By Eddie Alvarado

Update 7-26-17

• 43-57 failed to pass Cruz and Portman amendments (60 votes needed)
• 45-55 failed to pass repeal & delay (51 votes needed)
• 48-52 failed to pass to return bill to committee process (51 needed)

Update 7-25-17

Roll Call:

The motion has passed 51-50. With Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie.

All Democrats voted against it. And Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins were the only two Republicans to vote against the motion.