General Discussion

DemocratSinceBirth

(99,710 posts) Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:19 AM Mar 2015

So the Republicants want to privatize Medicare, turn Medicaid into a bloc grant, and repeal the ACA

WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Tuesday will unveil a proposed budget for 2016 that partly privatizes Medicare, turns Medicaid into block grants to the states, repeals the Affordable Care Act and reaches balance in 10 years, challenging Republicans in Congress to make good on their promises to deeply cut federal spending.

The House proposal leans heavily on the policy prescriptions that Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin outlined when he was budget chairman, according to senior House Republican aides and members of Congress who were not authorized to speak in advance of the official release.

With the Senate now also in Republican hands, this year’s proposal is more politically salient than in years past, especially for Republican senators facing re-election in Democratic or swing states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Illinois and New Hampshire, and for potential Republican presidential candidates.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/us/politics/house-republican-budget-overhauls-medicare-and-repeals-the-health-law.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150316&nlid=58462464&tntemail0=y&_r=1

This might seem like small bore stuff to some but the privatization of Medicare would begin to unravel a crucial Great Society program that has benefitted millions and millions, turning Medicaid into bloc grants would leave poor sick folks to the tender mercies of their state governors and legislators, the lion's share of whom are Republicans, and the repeal of the Affordable care Act would leave tens of millions of Americans without health insurance.

It's mendacious shit like this that has an invidious effect on the most vulnerable that makes DemocratSinceBirth oppose these misanthropic and cold hearted bastards with every other fiber of his being.

11 replies

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So the Republicants want to privatize Medicare, turn Medicaid into a bloc grant, and repeal the ACA (Original Post) DemocratSinceBirth Mar 2015 OP

They want you either sick or dead. Either way is fine as long as you can't vote against them. nt tridim Mar 2015 #1

They want you scared and grateful for any crumbs they toss your way. Orsino Mar 2015 #2

Seems like they never, ever do anything to help the average person or the down-trodden. BlueJazz Mar 2015 #3

When I was in grad school in the early 80s bloc grants were very much in vogue... DemocratSinceBirth Mar 2015 #5

It's notable that the Republicans never propose block grants for the Pentagon. Jim Lane Mar 2015 #10

Social Security is in its eightht year, Republicans are still trying to kill it. Thinkingabout Mar 2015 #4

But, But, But... freebrew Mar 2015 #6

OK. I get how Teabaggers are just stupid fucking tools beyond any hope, but how do these world wide wally Mar 2015 #7

The idea of them controlling all three branches of government is frightening./NT DemocratSinceBirth Mar 2015 #8

Both parties are the same! JaneyVee Mar 2015 #9

Irony: same people who chose fed exchange over state exchanges turns Medicaid into bloc grants. ieoeja Mar 2015 #11

tridim

(45,358 posts)

1. They want you either sick or dead. Either way is fine as long as you can't vote against them. nt

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Original post)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:30 AM

Mar 2015

Orsino

(37,428 posts)

2. They want you scared and grateful for any crumbs they toss your way.

Reply to tridim (Reply #1)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:31 AM

Mar 2015

They are would-be aristos.

BlueJazz

(25,348 posts)

3. Seems like they never, ever do anything to help the average person or the down-trodden.

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Original post)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:31 AM

Mar 2015

They're probably the only group of people that I could say this about>> "The world would be a better place without you" I know that sounds harsh but.....

DemocratSinceBirth

(99,710 posts)

5. When I was in grad school in the early 80s bloc grants were very much in vogue...

Reply to BlueJazz (Reply #3)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:34 AM

Mar 2015

They are great if you don't give a rat's ass about vulnerable folks...

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)

10. It's notable that the Republicans never propose block grants for the Pentagon.

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Reply #5)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 02:59 PM

Mar 2015

Instead of appropriating $5 billion for each of five weapons systems, they could appropriate $22 billion for all of them collectively. That would save $3 billion and would give the Pentagon the flexibility to use the money most efficiently, thus producing a better outcome at less cost.

That's their standard "block grant" argument about the state governments. I've never seen a Republican make that argument about military spending, though.

If block grants are such a great idea, there's no reason that the poor, the sick, etc. should be the only "beneficiaries" of the plan. Let the generals share in the joy.

Thinkingabout

(30,058 posts)

4. Social Security is in its eightht year, Republicans are still trying to kill it.

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Original post)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:32 AM

Mar 2015

Does this sound familiar? Now ACA has passed and the Congresses of late has vote 56 times to repeal it. Don't they have anything on their agenda which promotes progress? I have lots of family members who votes republican, all are in the 90%, WTH are they thinking? The same party only offers them anti abortion bills, try to take away everything else. If the GOP is successful in removing SS they would be in one hell of a mess. I don't see why they are not writing those they elect and tell them to leave this alone now, to get on with governing with the programs we know works.

freebrew

(1,917 posts)

6. But, But, But...

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Original post)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:50 AM

Mar 2015

wasn't it the teabaggers that shouted at Obama: "don't touch our Medicare or Social security" ?

I'm starting to get the feeling that these people just cannot be trusted...

See what I did there?

world wide wally

(21,749 posts)

7. OK. I get how Teabaggers are just stupid fucking tools beyond any hope, but how do these

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Original post)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 10:04 AM

Mar 2015

Republicans get away with this shit right in front of people's eyes and still get any votes at all?
Is this actually what people want?
Is this Bizarro World?
WTF?

DemocratSinceBirth

(99,710 posts)

8. The idea of them controlling all three branches of government is frightening./NT

Reply to world wide wally (Reply #7)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 10:07 AM

Mar 2015

JaneyVee

(19,877 posts)

9. Both parties are the same!

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Original post)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 11:01 AM

Mar 2015

ieoeja

(9,748 posts)

11. Irony: same people who chose fed exchange over state exchanges turns Medicaid into bloc grants.

Reply to DemocratSinceBirth (Original post)

Tue Mar 31, 2015, 03:51 PM

Mar 2015

This is, of course, why ACA was intended to be setup as state exchanges in the first place. It was one of the sops to the Right. But as always, they betrayed their own beliefs rather than go along with Obama on anything.

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