When The Senate Majority Leader moved deliberations on health care legislation to a series of closed door sessions, did anyone seriously think the result would be a plan that anyone would like?
Beyond that forgone conclusion (“no”), there are others: amendments and riders will provide ideological cover for both “moderate” and libertarian Republicans, party allegiance will override constituent concerns or basic decency, and Republicans will pass legislation that will ruin the lives of millions.
I was never a big fan of the Affordable Care Act, but only because it did not have a public option, and in the end we will all benefit from universal health care. I know a lot of people whose lives have been saved and made better by getting access to health care through the ACA. Democrats and hopefully a few renegade Republicans will one day recognize the benefits of making health care access a social given, and not some “privilege” doled out through means testing or some other meritocratic horror.
What the House and Senate GOP has offered the American people is cruel and deadly. I hope their summer is a miserable one, full of angry voters chasing them from town halls to movie theaters to restaurants to whatever golf course congress creeps go to hide.
Guitar Sousaphone jam session?!?!? :-)