Summary:
It was clear among Trump’s issues that he stigmatized the Afford Care Act as a “disaster”, with a promise that he would completely repeal it during day one of his administration. However, as the election came to an end, Mr. Trump started to tone down and agreed that he’d like to keep parts of the law. In addition, among Trump’s supporters, the percentage in wanting the law repealed dropped to 52% from a previous 69% while during the election. This poll has created skepticism in that the view against Obamacare is actually inflated due to protest votes, which makes for political risk in attempting to ensure a quick repeal and replacement. In effect, this plan by Republican leaders “could result in the loss of 20 million people’s insurance coverage”, which calls for the necessity in simply revamping the health care system. Georgia Rep. Tom Price is already working on a plan to replace the ACA, but as they begin to start making changes to health care, they realize they are actually just inheriting the problem.
Connection:
As we have experienced and seen before, polls can be misleading or plain wrong. In addition, the act of voting entirely based on party alignment has related to Presidential coattails, in which voters cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party because they support the president.
Questions:
- As Trump beings to change his tone on Obamacare, will he still follow through with his bold claim to completely repeal the ACA?
- Will the Republican leaders be successful in creating a better replacement for ObamaCare? Or will they simply inherit the problems from it?
- How will the repeal of Obamacare affect the 20 million people who are covered? How are the Republicans planning to deal with this problem?
The Republican party has the tools necessary to create a better replacement for Obamacare. They have majorities in both houses and a Republican president coming into office allowing them to create a coherent bill. Also the bill will not have to be rushed like Obamacare. However, this does not mean they will create a better program. In all, there is a high probability that Obamacare could be replaced by something better.
ReplyDeleteI agree, at this point it is almost a guarantee that Obamacare will be repealed under the Trump administration. It is likely that the Republicans will be able to produce a more complete finished product in terms of their healthcare bill because of their majority in both houses of congress. While it is difficult to predict the success of the bill, it is probable that the republicans will take a less government-centric approach to healthcare than Obama did.
DeleteI agree that the Republican party has the advantage in terms of getting to dictate and set policy agenda. It will be easier for them to pass the legislative bills they construct. However, I do not think the process will be necessarily more coherent. Trump himself (and many of the Republicans as the article has shown) is not clear on healthcare. He spent his entire campaign promising to get rid of Obamacare and now he is saying he wants to keep parts of it. I think Trump is so wishy washy on this topic now because he realizes he can't just get rid of a program that covers millions. Healthcare is a difficult and controversial topic and just because the republicans are in the majority doesn't mean the issues associated with healthcare will disappear. Furthermore, I think the bill will actually be more rushed as Trump's supporters expect Trump to fulfill his promises about healthcare. Whether Trump decides to do as he said he would, he will still be faced with pressure to deal with this issue quickly.
DeleteI agree with Gray in that the Republican party may have the means and desires to repeal Obamacare, but I personally believe that even if they choose to they won't repeal all of it. Trump has even stated recently that there are parts of the affordable care act that he would keep, especially since simply removing healthcare from 20 million hard working citizens would cause an uproar and ultimately ruin Trump's presidency. I'm sure that Republicans may inherit many of the same problems, but will hopefully find new alternatives to combat them in creating a new healthcare system.
DeleteI agree with what everyone above is saying. I agree in that I also believe that the Republican Party won't repeal all of Obamacare, instead they will repeal some parts of it. The Republicans will most likely inherit new problems after repealing parts of Obamacare and like Ben said, hopefully have ways planned to combat the problems that occur.
DeleteIn order to protect the millions of people ensured under Obamacare, Donald Trump will not be able to repeal all of it, at least not all at once. He will have to draw it back over time and reshape it into a new healthcare plan that meets his desires. By placing restrictions on it over time, he can keep Americans protected while he takes the time to reform it. However, repealing it all at once is not a good option because it will leave 20 million Americans unprotected and he cannot afford to lose that much support within the American population.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Kaeley said. Due to the fact so many people are dependent on Obama care right now, I think it will be very difficult. In addition, repealing an act such as Obama care is not an easy issue. It will take a lot of time and energy and negotiation. I believe that some aspects of Obama care might get changes and could possibly even get fixed in order to make it better, but the entirely of the act cannot be appealed. Trump cannot afford to lose that amount of support and the people cannot afford to loose that amount of help.
DeleteMy question is where does Trump's allegiance lie? If he is trying to better the American people, he will keep some of the act in place in order to reach his ultimate goal. Although, if he is trying to earn the support of his party, he might be more aggressive in repealing it. Also I believe it would be quite simple for him to repeal it due to large majorities and his large support at the beginning of every presidency. In the end, by repealing such an act he will lose a large plurality of support.
DeleteIn addition to Kaeley and Mollie's comments, there are parts of Obamacare that are favorable across party lines. I believe that these provisions that both parties can agree are important such as allowing young adults to stay on a parent’s insurance until age 26, no copayments for many preventive services, and financial help for low and moderate income people to pay their insurance premiums are the ones that Donald Trump will allow to stay.
DeleteWhether or not the Republicans will be successful or not in creating a better replacement for ObamaCare depends on one's definition of success. Many desire to cut the cost, make it less rigid, lower wage workers, others, the exact opposite. The table on http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-pros-and-cons/ demonstrates specific issues and considers the pros and cons of each issue. I believe that with a more liberal idea of success, the Republicans will fail to create a better replacement for ObamaCare.
ReplyDeleteAs I examined the link, I found that Republicans will indeed have a hard time finding a better alternative. The main points water down to the fact that Obamacare helps many people who need the program, but it also puts a heavy cost on tax payers. Depending on who you are, like Sydney said, you will base Obamacare based on your opinion of success. I noticed that for every benefit there was a drawback, and I think the future of Obamacare should be improving the system already in place.
DeleteI do not believe that Trump aspires to repeal Obama Care entirely (nor does he have the means to do so). He has gone on records multiple times saying he plans to keep specific parts of Obama Care—parts he likes. He has gone as far to name specific parts of the act such as children being able to stay on their parents health care plan until 27 and insurance companies not being able to deny insurance for a preexisting condition.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Battat that Trump most likely does not want to repeal Obamacare, but Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell sure want to. Both Republican leaders have expressed their desires to fight Obamacare, and now with the presidency in the control of the Republicans this is there chance. I see Ryan attempting to repeal back much of Obamacare's provisions with the help of McConnell in the Senate. Then, if a bill is passed, Trump must follow his party wishes or he runs the risk of being alienated from not only Congress but also the Republicans. I believe that there will be changes to Obamacare because of the power that Republicans have in Washington for the next two years.
DeleteObamacare is a controversial topic on which Trump has revised his view. However, his party still supports its complete removal. Andrew is correct in that Congress has the means and the desire to repeal Obamacare. Republicans have a mandate from the people to carry through on their campaign promises.
DeleteI believe that although Trump has continuously criticized ObamaCare and vowed to repeal it, he will not repeal the entire legislation. Moreover, I feel that he does not have the means necessary to completely repeal ObamaCare. However, with the majority party in Congress being Republican, it is very likely that we will see a myriad of different alternative "solutions" to ObamaCare in the next few years. Because parts of ObamaCare will most likely be repealed, many Americans will have to depend on the new legislation provided by the republicans in office.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Trump has a huge advantage in both houses of congress significantly impacts the future of Obama Care. It is likely that instead of completely repealing Obama Care, which would be a complicated and difficult endeavor, Trump and the Republicans will look to restructure the policy to shift it more in line with conservative values. This means that its scope and depth could be significantly reduced by cutting spending.
DeleteMost candidates propose many radical ideas in their campaign in order to appeal to a broader audience of voters. So, Trump was looking for the support of the Republicans who believed that "Obama will kill your grandma", as seen in the documentary. However, it is unlikely that he will follow through in repealing the entirety of ObamaCare because many past presidents have struggled to pass major healthcare reforms, so Trump will most likely be no different.
DeleteI believe that Donald Trump will not completely repeal ObamaCare as he has already stated that he will only look at some parts of the act that he wants to change. I think it will be really hard for Republican leaders to make an act much better than ObamaCare because healthcare has been a major issue for the past 50 years and has not been able to be solved by anyone attempting it. I believe that ObamaCare is the closest we have come to a good health care law and that Trump will try to add/modify it but not completely repeal it.
ReplyDeleteAs we viewed in the documentary, it is extremely difficult for a president to may much headway and reform healthcare. Even Obama, who spent his first term fighting for better health care, could ultimately not pass a bill exactly like the one he wanted. It will be equally, if not more, difficult for the new leadership to create a health care policy they find optimal.
DeleteWith Republicans in control of congress it will be very easy for Trump to completely repeal ACA. Not only has Trump flip flopped on many campaign promises but he has also said that he will keep a few provisions of the bill, most notably the one guaranteeing coverage for people with pre-existing health conditions. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he has an alternate solution in mind however lack of clear policy proposals have left many skeptical of his plans on health care.
ReplyDeleteTrump's health care plan is probably not specific enough yet to replace the Affordable Care Act. Though the Republican majority in Congress could repeal it, replacement could be a different issue taking more time than the repeal of the original legislation. It is difficult to imagine Trump understanding the intricacies of policy, so the Republicans in Congress may have to provide him with advice.
ReplyDelete