Dems Still in Denial About ObamaCare

March 8, 2012

Trapped by the Unpopularity of their Healthcare Disaster and Refusing to Face the Truth About What They Created, Democrats Still Resist Full ObamaCare Repeal

Some Democrats are trying to have it both ways, opposing a full repeal of the ObamaCare disaster they created while at the same time desperately seeking political cover by supporting the dismantling of some of the law’s worst ideas.
Top Democrats once hailed IPAB, a board of unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats empowered under ObamaCare to gut Medicare, as a signature part of ObamaCare. But now some Democrats are trying to slink away from IPAB as if they aren’t to blame for its creation.
The Democrats’ healthcare law is as unpopular as ever, and while some Democrats are supporting the repeal of parts of ObamaCare in a concession to political reality, the fact remains that these same Democrats continue to double down on defending their healthcare disaster.

Some Democrats are trying to have it both ways, opposing a full repeal of the ObamaCare disaster they created while at the same time desperately seeking political cover by supporting the dismantling of some of the law’s worst ideas:

“DEMOCRATS WILLING TO TINKER WITH HEALTH CARE LAW”:(Jessica Brady, “Democrats Willing to Tinker with Health Care Law,” Roll Call, 3/7/2012)

DEMOCRAT WHIP STENY HOYER: “OVERWHELMING SENTIMENT TO FIX SOME PARTS” OF HEALTHCARE DISASTER: “ ‘I think there’s overwhelming sentiment to fix some parts of it,’ Hoyer acknowledged.” (Jessica Brady, “Democrats Willing to Tinker with Health Care Law,” Roll Call, 3/7/2012)

GOP BILL TO REPEAL IPAB HAS 20 DEMOCRAT CO-SPONSORS, AND GROWING: (“Cosponsors,” H.R. 452, Clerk of the U.S. House, Accessed 3/7/2012)

A MONTH AGO, 28 DEMOCRATS JOINED GOP IN VOTING TO REPEAL CLASS PROGRAM DEEMED FISCALLY UNSUSTAINABLE: “By a vote of 267-159, lawmakers passed H.R. 1173, Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act of 2011. Twenty-eight Democrats joined a unanimous Republican Conference in supporting the repeal.” (John Parkinson, “House Votes to Repeal CLASS Act,” ABC News, 2/1/2012)

76 HOUSE DEMOCRATS LAST YEAR JOINED ALL HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN VOTING TO REPEAL ONEROUS 1099 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: (Corey Boles, “House Votes to Repeal 1099 Provision,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/3/2011)

WHILE HEALTHCARE LAW SELF-DESTRUCTS:

OBAMA’S HHS GRANTS OVER 1,200 WAIVERS FROM HEALTHCARE LAW:(Sam Baker, “HHS Finalizes 1,200 Waivers Under Healthcare Reform Law,” The Hill, 1/6/2012)

“CBO REPORT: MEDICARE PILOT PROGRAMS DON’T CONTROL HEALTHCARE COSTS”: (Megan McArdle, “CBO Report: Medicare Pilot Programs Don’t Control Healthcare Costs,” The Atlantic, 1/18/2012)

SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE ON WHETHER DEMOCRATS OVERSTEPPED POWER BY “REQUIRING THAT ALL AMERICANS BUY HEALTH INSURANCE BY 2014 OR PAY A PENALTY”: “At the heart of the legal battle is whether Congress overstepped its powers by requiring that all Americans buy health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty, a provision known as the individual mandate.” (“Healthcare Law’s Fate Now in Supreme Court’s Hands,” Reuters, 11/14/2011)

BUT OBAMA HHS SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS SAYS WHITE HOUSE WILL “KEEP GOING” IF SUPREME COURT DEEMS MANDATE UNCONSTITUTIONAL:(Sam Baker, “Sebelius: ‘We Keep Going’ if Court Strikes Down Mandate to Have Insurance,”The Hill, 1/24/2012)

Top Democrats once hailed IPAB, a board of unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats empowered under ObamaCare to gut Medicare, as a signature part of ObamaCare. But now some Democrats are trying to slink away from IPAB as if they aren’t to blame for its creation:

IPAB’S CUTS “WOULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN ACCESS TO CARE”: “The Independent Payment Advisory Board, created under the health care law to help control Medicare costs, lacks flexibility to do much more than cut provider payments that would lead to a reduction in access to care, witnesses told a House Ways and Means panel March 6.” (Ralph Lindeman, “IPAB Would Reduce Access to Care, Witnesses Tell Ways and Means Panel,” Bloomberg, 3/7/2012)

AMERICAN UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: DOCTORS WILL “OPT OUT OF THE MEDICARE PROGRAM OR BE DRIVEN OUT OF PRACTICE ALTOGETHER”: “He warned, ‘These cuts could be driven so low that physicians will be forced to limit the number of Medicare beneficiaries they see, opt out of the Medicare program, or be driven out of practice altogether.’” (Ralph Lindeman, “IPAB Would Reduce Access to Care, Witnesses Tell Ways and Means Panel,” Bloomberg, 3/7/2012)

WHITE HOUSE IS WHIPPING AGAINST IPAB REPEAL: “Democratic sources said Tuesday that White House aides were reaching out to Members to keep them from peeling off when the measure comes to a vote on the floor. Democratic House leaders rigorously whipped colleagues against voting for the GOP’s full health care repeal last year, but they have not done the same for the more targeted repeal measures that have come forward.” (Jessica Brady, “Democrats Willing to Tinker with Health Care Law,” Roll Call, 3/7/2012)

“ESSENTIALLY, IPAB TAKES THE DUTY OF CUTTING MEDICARE OUT OF CONGRESS’ HANDS”: (Kate Pickert, “On Health Care and Deficit, Obama Punts (Mostly) and Invites a GOP Fight,” Time, 4/13/2011)

OBAMA HAS EMPHASIZED THE IPAB AS THE CENTRAL PLATFORM OF HIS PLAN TO GUT MEDICARE:

“OBAMA BUDGET WANTS MORE TEETH” FOR IPAB: (Phillip Klein, “Obama Budget Wants More Teeth for Medicare Board,” The Washington Examiner, 2/13/2012)

OBAMA BUDGET CLAIMS IT “STRENGTHENS THE INDEPENDENT PAYMENT ADVISORY BOARD”: “In addition, it strengthens the Independent Payment Advisory Board to reduce long-term drivers of Medicare cost growth.” (p. 112, “The Budget for Fiscal Year 2013: Department of Health and Human Services,” The White House, 2/13/2012)

OBAMA’S HHS SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS REFERRED TO IPAB AS “A KEY PART OF THE PRESIDENT’S PLAN”: (Kathleen Sebelius, “IPAB Will Protect Medicare,” Politico, 6/23/2011)

The Democrats’ healthcare law is as unpopular as ever, and while some Democrats are supporting the repeal of parts of ObamaCare in a concession to political reality, the fact remains that these same Democrats continue to double down on defending their healthcare disaster:

HOYER CLAIMS “CITIZENS ARE COMING” TO “SEE THE BENEFITS” OF THEIR GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE TAKEOVER: “But I think there’s very, very strong support in the Democratic Party, and I believe that citizens are coming to that more and more as they see the benefits of that accruing to seniors in terms of their prescription-drug bill being reduced.” (Jessica Brady, “Democrats Willing to Tinker with Health Care Law,” Roll Call, 3/7/2012)

REP. RON KIND (D-WI): “I WOULD BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT IPAB REQUIRES A LEAP OF FAITH, BUT I SUPPORTED IT, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE.” (Remarks From Rep. Ron Kind, House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health Hearing, 3/6/2012)

ONLY 3 DEMOCRATS JOINED EFFORT TO REPEAL OBAMACARE: Final Vote: 245-189. (Roll Call 14, Clerk of the U.S. House, 1/19/2011)

BUT OBAMACARE REMAINS HORRIFICALLY UNPOPULAR:

USA TODAY POLL: 50% SAY GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE TAKEOVER WAS “A BAD THING,” ONLY 42% SAY A GOOD THING: (Susan Page, “Swing States Poll: Health Care Law Hurts Obama in 2012,” USA Today, 2/27/2012)

IN SWING STATES, 53% SAY HEALTHCARE LAW WAS “A BAD THING” AND ONLY 38% SUPPORT IT: (Susan Page, “Swing States Poll: Health Care Law Hurts Obama in 2012,” USA Today, 2/27/2012)

GALLUP: 72% OF AMERICANS, INCLUDING 56% OF DEMOCRATS, SAY INDIVIDUAL MANDATE TO BUY INSURANCE IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL: (Jeffrey M. Jones, “Americans Divided on Repeal of 2010 Healthcare Law,” Gallup, 2/27/2012)