U.S. Political news and discussion. International news and politics also welcome.
Ryan Plans to Phase Out Medicare in 2017
Ryan Plans to Phase Out Medicare in 2017
With all the other things we've discussed so far today, I wanted to return to one critical one. It's not about mights or maybes or fears of what's to come. It's about what's coming just after President-Elect Trump's inauguration. Paul Ryan has been pushing to phase out Medicare and replace it with private insurance for several years.
talkingpointsmemo.com




Fuck.
The only somewhat comforting thing is the Republicans have spent the last 8 years saying no to everything and refusing to govern. Now that they are in charge they still dont have 60 votes in the senate to push whatever they want through and they dont have a huge lead in the house. So they will need to work with Democrats to pass anything and they will need to also get the Republicans who where against Trump to join in as well.
I could see the Senate GOP, in their power-drunken hubris, nuking the filibuster once and for all. You only need a simple majority to change the Senate's procedural rules. The Democrats did it when they had a majority, but limited it to judicial confirmations (except the Supreme Court).
Nothing stopping the Republicans from scrapping it altogether, though.
They could do that but they also have to remember they wont be in charge forever. Its the main reason no one has completely killed the fillibuster in the senate.
Ryan and co don't have that kind of foresight. They see an opportunity, and if the Dems get in the way by filibustering they'll just nuke it.
Ryan is in the house not the Senate. McConnell didnt nuke it the last time the republicans had control of the Senate because democrats could push through anything they wanted when they retook the senate.
Lindsey Graham at least has declared he'll fight against getting rid of the filibuster. At least some Republicans recognize it would be against their own best interests to jettison it.
George Bush tried to privatize social security and it went NOWHERE. Millions of senior citizens worked for their their lifetime to get Medicare and social security. And they VOTE. It doesn't make sense to me that the GOP still tries to sell this. Except that the health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies want it, I guess.
Yep, old people will vote in every election no matter what and if you try and take away something they like you will hear about it. They are still one of the most reliable voting blocks in the country.
As soon as they announce this legislation I'll be calling my republican representatives every day to let them know how disastrous this would be for the American people. Hell, maybe I should start now.
This would be a stupid move by the republicans but probably some of the best news that we could hear for Single Payer or the public option. In the mid to long term.
If the republicans take away or limit medicare the old people will let them know about it. Old people will demand it back or vote in people that will. That's our chance to push for universal healthcare.
Once we have universal healthcare most people aren't going to want to go back.