Shutting down the government over Obamacare?

[colourwheel]

Recently after the 40th time Congress tried to repeal Obamacare (the affordable care act), they decided they all deserve a 5 week summer recess. Not to mention the fact that the repeal was unsuccessful yet again and congress for almost a full year has accomplished nothing in policies for jobs.

 

Despite if you feel Obamacare is unconstitutional, unpopular, or you just don't like it, etc... It is "Law"! I can understand the GOP thinks it as good politics to keep wanting to either defund or totally dismantle the affordable care act, but realistically it is not going to go away any time soon.

 

As of This coming October, Obamacare will be in full effect across the nation and I think the GOP is worried that it will become too popular after people realize they love it. Already in places across the nation like New York where people want Obamacare to be successful the program seems to flourish and insurance premiums on the individual market are declining fast saving people money while still providing good quality healthcare. this perfectly illustrates why Obamacare is good for the nation. And it also illustrates why conservatives should be terrified about this legislation, as it takes effect this October since the day Obamacare was made into law they kept trying to repeal it. Which Brings me back to the point of the topic.

 

Right now The republican party is very divided in threatening to shut down the government over Obamacare! Yes that is right, the threat to shut down the government again. Seems to me this is the last stand the GOP has over trying to eliminate the affordable care act. The GOP has wasted their time trying to repeal/defund Obamacare over 40 times without even trying to make the program better. If you ask me this seems like a completely desperate and ludicrous move that will damage the GOP for years if they actually shut down the government over a healthcare law.

 

[rhowington]

Amen! It is the LAW not a bill.

[TRoaches]

What does "shut down the government" mean?

[Tidus44]

A shut down is the government puts everyone but essential services on leave - in other words no pay. The military as essential services don't get put on leave, they just don't get paid, and the same happens with some other essential services.

 

The government has been shut down in the past, the last time in 1995 and 1996 (I think) - one part of the cause being Medicare funding. The shut down stays in effect until a budget is passed.

[Lisnpuppy]

Basically the funding for payment for some federal employees runs out periodically and needs to be renewed. I don't know how and when all this happens so don't ask. Sometimes for one reason or another congress decides not to sign off on the funds (sometimes budget issues sometimes political)...thus making it impossible to pay their wages. They then do not work.

 

It is happened a number of times in the past. It isn't always all of them as federal employees have different classifications. However it is always enough to cause a big mess and perhaps cause safety concerns.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_shutdown

[colourwheel]

 

What does "shut down the government" mean?

 

Basically what Lisnpuppy and Tidus44 say.

 

"The closure of non-essential offices of the government due to lack of approval on the government programs budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Approval is reached if Congress passes all of the spending bills regarding the federal budget. If an agreement is not achieved, a government shutdown will close many federally run operations, and halt work for federal employees unless they are considered essential. Some organizations still stay open by running on cash reserves, but once these run out, if a solution is not found, they will also close. The shutdown stays in effect until a compromise is reached and a budget bill is passed."

Edited August 9, 2013 by colourwheel

[HeyYou]

Obama-care, coloquially kown as "health care reform", was an end-run trying to fix a problem that didn't really exist. It is treating a minor symptom of a much larger ill. Most of those 30 million plus folks that don't currently have insurance, don't have it because they are un/under-employed. Passing a law REQUIRING folks to purchase a product from a private company is the exaxt WRONG thing to do. The only people that are going to benefit from this, are the insurance companies. Obama/Congress would have been MUCH more effective had they concentrated on getting america back to WORK. You know, employed? Where most folks got their insurance from in the past? But no. That made far too much sense.

 

Of course, government treating a symptom, and ignoring the actual PROBLEM, is nothing new either. Typical behavior for politicians.

[colourwheel]

@HeyYou

 

It really doesn't matter if one thinks it's wrong or right, Obamacare is "Law" upheld by the supreme court and it is fixing a problem that does really exist. When Millions of Americans are getting afford healthcare that couldn't before whether you believe they deserve it or not is a big step in making our country a better place. Granted I will agree with you Congress needs to pass job bills but look at what they have been wasting their time doing the last 3 quarters does not reflect any progress to anything. Threatening to shut down the government over healthcare reform is not a good idea for any political party.

Edited August 9, 2013 by colourwheel

[kvnchrist]

@HeyYou

 

It really doesn't matter if one thinks it's wrong or right, Obamacare is "Law" upheld by the supreme court and it is fixing a problem that does really exist. When Millions of Americans are getting afford healthcare that couldn't before whether you believe they deserve it or not is a big step in making our country a better place. Granted I will agree with you Congress needs to pass job bills but look at what they have been wasting their time doing the last 3 quarters does not reflect any progress to anything. Threatening to shut down the government over healthcare reform is not a good idea for any political party.

 

 

Rhetoric aside, just saying something is the law doesn't mean it will work. We can look at prohibition for examples of social policies that became laws, only to end up being absolute failures.

 

I don't know the particulars of this law, but I do know that it doesn't cover everyone in America and there seems to be a lot of government agencies and organizations that are asking for wavers to get around this and that measure of the law.

 

I am for universal health care. I think everybody deserves quality health care, but I don't like it when certain sectors of society ( including the congress) can exempt themselves from it as if they are more important than others. It reeks to high heaven of elitism. If The Affordable health care act is good for everyday people it's good enough for the rich, the powerful and the influential. We need to all be on the same level to adhere to the equal protection of the law, which you have reiterated that Obama care is the law.

 

My major concerns are reflected in this news article

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/business/economy/for-obamacare-some-hurdles-still-ahead.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

When Millions of Americans are getting afford healthcare that couldn't before whether you believe they deserve it or not is a big step in making our country a better place.

 

 

 

 

Please show me where he said anything of the sort. poisoning the well or placing words in others mouths doesn't construct a case, it lessens it!

[Tidus44]

The U.S. ranks 14th for preventable deaths, 24th in life expectancy, 41st in infant mortality and 37th for health care among industrialized nations. Millions of Americans have no health insurance.

I have heard numerous Republicans talk about the U.S. health system as being "the world's greatest care system" and it doesn’t need to be “fixed”. The facts are otherwise. To state the Affordable Health Care Act does not address a problem is the same as saying there are no problems at all in the US with anything.

 

The main opposition the Republicans have to the program is the "individual mandate" provision; the requirement that everyone purchase health insurance (and if they can’t afford it there is government help so they can afford it - so the plan is to cover everyone as much as possible).

But the “individual mandate” concept was originated by the conservative Heritage Foundation in 1989, was a major point when the Republicans voiced opposition to Clinton's health reform plan in 1993 and formed part of the health plan Mitt Romney (a Republican) implemented in Massachusetts.

 

Are the Republicans really concerned about health care? This is not about health care – it’s about politics, the lack of caring for people and the lust for power by the Republicans at any cost (except to them and their rich friends of course). They can't get their way so who do they hurt? The very people they say they are there to protect from bad government. No wonder the Republican Party is dying.

Edited August 9, 2013 by Tidus44