Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Another Day, Another Call to Ol' Roy Blunt

by Pa Rock
Voter

The prevailing strategy to relieve millions of Americans of their healthcare seems to be entirely focused on wearing down the resistance.  Republicans don't even try to pretend that they are crafting legislation that would adequately replace the plan that they are so hellbent on destroying.  They just keep throwing out inadequate proposals hoping that this time they will somehow or another reach the magic number they need to destroy one more piece of Obama's formidable legacy.

The Senate is now on its fourth attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare, with the emphasis on "repeal."  Most of the Republicans in the Senate don't care what, if anything, replaces Obamacare as long as they can manage to deprive healthcare to the working poor.   It is almost as though they are on a quest from God, albeit a mean and perverse God.

Graham-Cassidy, the latest Senate attempt at repeal and replace, promotes a replacement that would rely on "block grants," or federal money given to the states so that they could establish their own programs.  The grants would be underfunded and unworkable, but still the states could spend that money however they danged well pleased.

Today I phoned the office of my state's Republican senator, Ol' Roy Blunt.  Ol' Roy didn't answer the phone, of course, because he's too busy puttering around his three-million-dollar Washington, DC, area home and making sure the Senate passes no bills that would harm Kraft Foods, but his man "Andy" did pick up on the first ring.  Andy listened politely as I voiced my concerns about the inadequacy of underfunded block grants to provide medical care to Missourians, and my contention that this bill would result in the closure of rural hospitals, like the one here in West Plains, and shut the doors of many rural clinics.  When I had finished venting my spleen, Andy said, "Thank you, Rocky.  I'll let the senator know that you are opposed to the bill."

Yes, I am opposed to the bill - and the previous three - and probably the next three as well.  Doesn't the Senate have anything constructive that it can be doing?  Blunt is the de facto head of a coven of lobbyists.  Surely they have other interests that could benefit from some attention by the Senate.

Give it a break, Goobers.  Don't expect America to sit back and quietly give up its healthcare coverage until you are ready to give up yours.  Show me that bill and then maybe I'll quit calling.

But probably not.

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