Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) slams Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) over Obamacare lies
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Congressman Paul Ryan had one of his unscheduled Obamacare bashing hearings this week. He continued to misinform with an opening speech that showed that the congressman and his ilk continue to put politics over the well-being of Americans.
Paul Ryan claimed that the answer is to repeal and replace the law. Yet, Republicans have had over five years to come up with something different that could reduce the deficit, provide healthcare, and remain completely private. The reason they cannot is that Obamacare used Republican tenets to build Obamacare, a private based system. Had the President implemented Medicare for all (single payer) by getting rid of insurance companies that continue to skim up to 20% of premiums for false overhead and profits, they could demagogue and attempt to change it to a more inefficient system. That was the genius of Obamacare. It was built on the Conservative Heritage Foundation principles that most Republicans once supported along with a dose of progressive middle-class protections.
“So whatever the Supreme Court decides later this month,” Paul Ryan said. “I think the lesson is absolutely clear. Obamacare is just flat busted. It just doesn’t work. And no fix can change that fact.”
That statement makes Congressman Paul Ryan a liar. There is enough data to prove that statement is a lie. Paul Ryan knows that statement is a lie. The media knows that statement is a lie. Yet very few have made Paul Ryan or Republicans pay for those lies.
Congressman Sander Levin’s response was calm and concise. It is easy when you are speaking from a position of truth.
“What’s busted is not ACA But your attacks on it, endless attacks.”Sander Levin said calmly and deliberately. “Never coming up with a single comprehensive alternative all these year. So you sit as armchair critics while millions of people have insurance who never had it before. Millions of kids have insurance who would not otherwise have had it. People who have preexisting conditions no longer are cancelled or can’t even get insurance. The donut hole is gone. Millions of people in lower income categories are now insured through Medicaid, millions and millions and millions. Cost containment is beginning to work. The increase in cost net rate is going down. And so you are livid because it is getting better. That’s why you are livid. … And the states that are denying their citizens further coverage under Medicaid, are essentially telling people, well get lost when it comes to healthcare. .. And you have a governor Mr. Chairman, who is running around this country talking about the evils of healthcare when millions of people are benefiting from what happened. … Your frustration is millions and millions and millions of people are benefiting, have healthcare when they did not before.”
President Obama’s speech at the Catholic Health Association Conference is well worth watching on this issue.