A Missed Opportunity: Why is There No Democratic Healthcare Proposal?
For eight years Republicans in congress had only one legislative priority: thwart the Obama administration at every turn. Much of this was based on true ideological differences — the progressive belief that the government’s role is to actively improve the lives of its citizens versus the libertarian philosophy that the role of government should be limited to national defense and that citizens are responsible for their own economic and social well being. Of course, if the GOP opposition was just based on genuine policy disputes then it could be argued that this was all part of the democratic process. But it wasn’t. This strategy was guided less by the need to take an ideological stand and more by a particularly toxic brand of short-term political gamesmanship.
Following the Republican victory in the mid-term elections in December 2010, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear that the GOP’s “top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term.” Yes, he actually said that. Think about it, the top political priority was not passing legislation that would help American citizens. It was not reducing wasteful spending, reeling in corporate malfeasance, or even lowering taxes. Instead, it was working to ensure that the President of the United States failed. True to McConnell’s word, the GOP sought at every turn to fight President Obama’s agenda without ever putting forward a clear agenda of their own.
There is perhaps no better example of this unabashed political obstruction than the 54 times during the Obama administration that the GOP-controlled house voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. They knew these votes would do nothing to change the legislation, but were content taking these empty actions to demonstrate their opposition to anything that the President or his supporters favored. This resist-simply-to-resist strategy was unpatriotic, un-American, and downright disrespectful to the men and women of this country who elected these officials to build consensus and govern.
Despite the frustration voiced by everyday Americans regarding the gridlock in Washington, frustration that has resulted in a cratering of public confidence in congress, to many in the Republican Party the strategy worked. The GOP now controls all levers of power in the federal government and with a Republican President can make the policy inroads they have dreamed of for years. Except, and it’s a big except, they have no actual policy proposals to pass. Despite holding 54 separate votes to repeal the ACA, no one in the Republican Party actually took the time to sit down and put together a policy plan, let alone actual legislation to address the problems in the ACA. Even more amazing is that when faced with the prospect of actually enacting some type of healthcare legislation this year many Republicans (including the President) seemed to be shocked by the complexity of the issue. By pushing an agenda of resistance at all costs, GOP lawmakers neglected to actually do their job — develop and enact policy that would improve the lives of Americans.
Now, with the GOP firmly in control of both houses of congress and the White House, it appears that Democratic leaders, pushed by many within the base of the party, have adopted a similar strategy for dealing with President Trump: just resist. As someone who found the GOP’s replacement of legitimate policy debate with unabashed obstructionism sickening then, I am morally bound to renounce such a strategy by Democrats today. Being a party of “no” instead of a party of ideas is bad not only for our country and our increasingly under-threat democracy, but it is a horrible long-term political strategy and one that risks missing a real opportunity to improve the lives of actual Americans.
GOP Senators worked for weeks behind closed doors before finally unveiling their healthcare bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, to the public. The bill was met with a strong and swift backlash from outside groups including the AARP and the American Medical Association, not to mention numerous Republican Senators. At bottom, the BCRA does little (if anything) to address the biggest problem that most Americans have with the ACA, the ever increasing costs of healthcare. Yes, the BCRA will eventually reduce government outlays on healthcare, but the saving will come largely through rolling back Medicaid expansion. Thus, the “savings” come not from actually lowering the costs of care, but from lowering the number of people with access to care.
Against this backdrop — a healthcare bill that will result in 23 million fewer Americans having health insurance while at the same time providing a significant tax break to the wealthiest Americans — you would think that the opposition party would come forward with a better proposal, but not so. Democratic leaders appear to have adopted the GOP strategy — do not attempt to do any governing. Do not put forward new policy ideas or proposals. Do not attempt to find common ground with those across the aisle. Instead, just vote no and blame the other side for the fallout. This is not leadership. It is immature, self-serving political gamesmanship, and the American people deserve better.
The Democratic Party is missing a HUGE opportunity here. It is not enough to make a platform around protecting or defending the ACA because the ACA has real problems that need to be addressed. It is time to put forward a realistic plan that addresses the primary concern of voters — rising healthcare costs — and does so without eliminating coverage for twenty-plus million people. Stop standing around telling us how horrible their plan is — we know it is horrible. In fact according to a recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll the BCRA enjoys only a 17% approval rate among voters. If Democratic leaders were looking for a sign from voters as to how they should be spending their time, this is certainly it — come up with a plan that more than one in five Americans can support. If GOP senators are unwilling to work with Democrats on a compromise bill then Democrats should go it alone. I recognize that it is unlikely that a Democratic-led bill would ever pass, but it is important for the party to show that it is working for the American people, not simply trying to throw-up roadblocks and stall government until the occupant of the White House changes.
Most importantly, Democratic leaders should relish the chance to enter into a true battle of ideas — not just on healthcare but on a spate of issues. The simple fact of the matter is that current GOP policies favor the few at the expense of the many. By putting forth well thought-out, detailed, and realistic policy proposals, Democrats can present voters with alternative choices while at the same time having a ready-made agenda for when they regain power in congress. Put together a policy initiative that provides relief from high premiums and deductibles while at the same time ensuring coverage and you have legislation that will be broadly popular. Yes, it will be difficult, and yes trade-offs have to be made, but it is time that the Democratic Party stand on its own ideas. Do not run from the fight. Instead, force voters to look at the two proposals side-by-side and let them make a choice. Stop the political games, the fearmongering, and the name calling. Yes, the other side has used these tactics in the past but someone has to stop the race to the bottom. In short, it is time to act like adults and do what your constituents elected you to do.
By not putting competing legislation on the table Democrats are forced to play on a field not of their own making, and are limited to criticizing without providing a solution. Leadership is not about building a following by denigrating, sabotaging, or vilifying the opposition, but instead about articulating a clear vision and building a consensus to achieve that vision. I know it is a novel idea, but it may finally be time to make the debate about the issues. To put forth a competing vision of the future, grounded in the reality of what government can achieve, and based on the belief that the American public ultimately cares more about progress than politics.
