Welcome to your Monday open thread. I’ve started a new diet so I may be off in the quick thinking department. Let’s talk about what’s on your mind.
Yesterday I reported here that House Dem leaders have settled on the phrase they will use to brand the House GOP’s push to repeal health reform: “The Patient’s Rights Repeal Act.”
But some Democrats in the House — being Democrats — are already beginning to question this talking point, House aides tell me. They are circulating another idea: “No Care.”
With both sides gearing up for a major, protracted standoff over repeal that could drag on for months or even years, some rank and file House Dems have been talking among themselves about whether “Patient’s Rights Repeal Act” is snappy enough to compete with GOP talking points, aides say. The three chief Republican descriptions of the Affordable Care Act — “job killer,” “government takeover,” and “ObamaCare” — all enjoyed amazingly successful media traction.
Hence the idea of “No Care,” which is only two syllables long and is very descriptive, even if it doesn’t quite pack the emotional punch of “job killer” or “government takeover.”
I think “No Care” is much easier and understandable. It makes sense, too, since the GOP went from “repeal and replace” to just repeal. They have no plan.
Return of the angry town hall?
Yet at a town hall held earlier this week at Ohio’s Walsh University, GOP Rep. Jim Renacci (OH) found a crowd that was less than friendly to his proposal to repeal the new health care law. At one point during the event, constituent Dan Fonte challenged the congressman about the hasty push to repeal the bill. “There are a lot of things that took effect [as a result of the new law] that help seniors. What happens to all that?” asked Fonte. “And what are you going to replace it with? Why don’t you make a replacement plan so we can look at it before you repeal it?” The crowd reacted to Fonte’s question with great applause.
After Fonte listed off many of the benefits of the new health law, Renacci conceded that while “there are some good things” in it, “there’s also a half a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare.” Fonte quickly pointed out that these cuts were to the private insurance-administered Medicare Advantage, and asked, “Why should insurers get more?!” Renacci ignored the question and relayed an anecdote about businesses supposedly laying off workers thanks to the new law, and Fonte told him he’s “ready” to visit the businesses and see if the anecdote was true…
The health care law isn’t popular yet but repeal isn’t either. Most people want the law to go farther and as more people see benefits it will get harder and harder to repeal it.