The Definition of Insanity For $100, Alex

Albert Einstein is credited - probably incorrectly - with proposing the definition of “insanity” as repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.

This definition definitely applies to the Republican Party’s attempts to strike down and/or reform the Affordable Care Act the last seven years, where the GOP’s valiant abilities have been worse than Charlie Brown’s ability to hit a baseball or kick a football.

Between something like 60 failed attempts to repel the ACA while President Barack Obama was in office, and multiple failed attempts to do the same since Donald Trump took the Oval Office, Republican Party leadership and membership has been unable - and, in some cases, unwilling - to bring about its much-ballyhooed change to the health care system.

Obama promised change and achieved it; the GOP has proven all talk and no action, with plenty of flip and flop along the way.

Now, don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of issues that need to be fixed in the ACA. Plenty of Democrats feel this way; heck, back in January, Obama said he would publicly support GOP efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare - and encourage Democrats to support it - if their plan is better.

But Republican plans have not been better.

For seven years, Republicans have railed against the ACA (also known as “ObamaCare”). Instead of spending time seriously devising an alternative that would work, they whined and complained and shook their fists in the air. And in the past six months, since taking full control of the federal government - the GOP controls the House, the Senate, and the Office - they have developed replacement plans in secret, without reaching across the political aisle, and alienating their own base.

While they freely assailed the health law when Obama occupied the White House, the GOP was unable to devise a workable plan that would keep both moderate Republicans and conservatives on board.

Is it any surprise three of the GOP senators who helped prevent Trumpcare from achieving a vote were Susan Collins, Shelley Moore Capito, and Lisa Murkowski? It’s notable the three women - who have been vocal in their positions on health care policy - were all left out of the Senate’s initial working group to draft the latest Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill - a group of 13 men.

"I did not come to Washington to hurt people," Capito said in a statement. “I cannot vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians.”

So now what? After the latest crash and burn, conservative commentator Laura Ingraham said Republicans must admit they need to work with Democrats in order to pass legislation on healthcare or “do nothing.” Trump seemingly decided to focus on the latter part of her position; the president has declared his plan is now to “let Obamacare fail,” suggesting Democrats would then seek out Republicans to work together on a bill to bury the Affordable Care Act. 

If he is determined to make good on that pledge, he has plenty of options at his disposal, from declining to reimburse insurance companies for reducing low-income customers’ out-of-pocket costs to failing to enforce the mandate that most Americans have health coverage.

I hope Democrats and Republicans can come together and clean up the health care system. Americans deserve the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and having available, viable health care options achieves all three of these goals.