Bwahahahahahahaha!

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.  I was just reading over the alternative health care bill released today by the GOP, and I find it quite hard to keep from guffawing and chortling.

Give me a sec….

Okay, so, in a continuing effort to not be taken seriously, today House minority leader, the ever-orange John Boehner, released the GOP’s version of a health care bill.  Now, this is only after months of the minority using obstructionist tactics while cat-calling from the sidelines as the Democrats shepherd legislation through the various committees, resulting in HR 3962- the Affordable Health Care for America Act- a comprehensive piece of legislation that addresses the systemic problem of health care reform.

The GOP’s bill?  Not so much.  Not only does it not address health care at a systemic level, it really doesn’t do much.  Of anything.  According to the Congressional Budget Office, by 2019 the percentage of Americans lacking health insurance would be unchanged, and premiums would be decreased by one to two points.  Of course, the initial costs for the GOP’s bill is less than the Democratic legislation.  Which makes sense, as they are introducing a bill that really doesn’t do anything at all.  (It doesn’t cost much money to not expand health care coverage.)  Curiously, from the charge of the “fiscally conservatives” who claim that the Democrats’ bill “costs too much”, the CBO has determined that more money will be shaved off the deficit with HR 3962, which would cost $36 million less yet would provide access for 12 million more Americans to affordable health care.

Seriously, why did the GOP even bother publicly releasing this bill?  They could have released absolutely nothing- which would have also cost less money than the Democratic legislation and cover fewer Americans, yet also not embarrass them on a national scale.  Its like they don’t even take this “legislating” thing seriously at all.

Who knew that by dropping such a turd of a legislation, the GOP would end up inadvertently cast HR 3962 in such a much better light?

Huh.  I guess if you involve all the interested parties that have a stake and shoot for realistic efforts to address the problem at hand- as opposed to, say, digging in your heels and drawing ideological lines in the metaphorical sand- then I guess responsible statesman can craft substantive legislation.  Who would have guessed?

Note to Rep. Boehner: That’s the reason why the Democrats’ bill is over 1900 pages long.  Because it addresses nearly every problem regarding health insurance as opposed to yours which addresses, well, nothing.

Now, while I know its much more fun to come to policy conclusions based on misinformation and unsound rhetoric, but if you’re interested in actually taking a look at the data and the numbers that prove just how much of a joke the GOP’s health insurance “plan” is, then the CBO report can be accessed here.

I hate using technical jargon as I discuss politics, in fear of excluding outsiders.  But regarding the GOP’s leadership and the alternative health care bill they released, I believe the technical term is “mammoth, catastrophic, epic FAIL.”

Boehner | fail | GOP | health care