Rep. Kristi Noem and just enough other House Republicans voted to take Medicaid away from special education students, make insurance more expensive for women who’ve been raped, and price Americans with pre-existing conditions out of their health insurance against the wishes of a majority of Americans. Congresswoman Noem did so even though this unscored, unread bill violates all sorts of arguments her Speaker Paul Ryan made against the Affordable Care Act that they are trying to repeal.
To do so much harm, there must be some enormous good that the Republican health care plan will do to outweigh all these harms.
Of course there is—billions in tax cuts for rich people:
All told, the bill would cut taxes by about $765 billion over the next decade.
The lion’s share of the tax savings would go to the wealthy and very wealthy. According to the Tax Policy Center, the top 20 percent of earners would receive 64 percent of the savings and the top 1 percent of earners (those making more than $772,000 in 2022) would receive 40 percent of the savings [Scott Horsely, “GOP Health Care Bill Would Cut About $765 Billion in Taxes over 10 Years,” NPR, 2017.05.04].
Now TPC analyzed the March bill that failed. TPC and CBO may provide updated figures next week, when everyone has had time to read the bill that Noem hastily yea’d yesterday.
But 40% of $765 billion is $306 billion that’s currently doing good for millions of Americans that Kristi thinks should be redistributed up the ladder to Donald Trump and the other richest one percent of Americans.
And don’t forget: taking health benefits away from millions of working-class Americans and booting the savings up the ladder to rich people means less consumer spending and slower job growth. So Kristi’s screwing not only millions of Americans but her own chances of achieving her ridiculous 9.1% economic growth goal.
In one vote Thursday, Kristi Noem provided all the campaign points a good Democrat needs to jump in the race for Governor and keep the thoughtless, heartless Noem out of the Capitol.
For at least the last 37 years, GOP Party economic policies have been geared exclusively to benefit the very wealthy at the expense of everybody else. So why do so many people who are not the very wealthy support people like Noem who so readily throw them under the bus?
Well for one, the Democratic Party has become intolerant of the way that so many people choose to live their lives. We chastise them because they own guns and like them. We disown them because they feel strongly that abortion is murder and should be treated as such. We make fun of their Christian faith because it’s a little bit different than our Christian faith (which most of us have). To top it all off, we call Republicans intolerant even while we are guilty of our own brand of intolerance.
When the Democratic Party decides to become a big tent again it will be large enough to hold the voters it needs to succeed. The GOP party helps us with giveaways to the rich and middle fingers to everyone else like this tax cut bill (I won’t even call it a healthcare bill). Let’s try to be a little less judgmental of the rural folks whose economic interests we champion.
That “tolerance” goes both ways, Ror. I consider myself relatively progressive, but I am NOT a “snowflake”. I am not on public assistance. I think hunting is fine, have no problems with how many guns you own, but I have yet to meet any hunter worth his salt that needs a magazine with 30 or more rounds or needs a .50 cal to down an elk. You wear your AR to WalMart and I will think you are a little off. I have no problem with your religion. Don’t push your values on me and I will reciprocate! Other than that, I would like to see the Democrats put forward a viable alternative to the present Repub lock on things.
I just love it when Kristi rolls up the sleeve of her cheerleading sweater and really digs in to the inner workings of a bill. Im so impressed with her knowledge on all the subjects set before her in congress.
Thank you South Dakota for making Missouri look better.
The Blindman
Speak for yourself Mr. Rorschach, you do not speak for me. I could care about the guns, because I really really like them. If you want to pack that smoke wagon, don’t make any sudden moves or you may take one for the team. I could care less about being in any kind of faith or for having none, makes no difference to me as long as the person does not try to cheat me. Regarding abortion, that is the law of the land. I have no opinion one way or the other other than following the Constitution. If that changes, I change, until then, it is what it is.
To make the difference, GOTV!!!
Jerry I have read your comments asking if Joe Lowe has done anything in regards to GOTV efforts insinuating that he has not. You tell Rorschach to GOTV. What have you done Jerry? Personally I door knocked a state senate district last election for a state senate and house candidate. We lost in the Trump Tsunami but I had great conversations with voters and met some new Democrats along the way that now know they are not alone. Now we are working on grassroots. Mary Perpich came on here asking how many here are actually doing something besides posting all day. She is doing it with her feet on the ground talking to people mobilizing and building momentum. Jerry what are you doing? What have you done?
Ben Tarnoff: “Today is a good reminder that class war is actually a war–it involves rich people literally killing poor people.”
Rors,
The republican healthcare bill should be called what it is, ‘Trump’s Death Panel’.
I suggest that getting Joe Lowe to run in and of itself is an effort to get out the vote, in that voters will be more inclined to get out and vote if we give them a candidate they can believe in.
Donald:
The class war is over. The rich won.
I guess we go back in time— Not very long ago–When 60% of the bankruptcies in the United States were caused by a medical emergency and 75% of those families who were forced to file bankruptcy –HAD HEALTH INSURANCE!
Roger, I still think the Republican bill will eventually be called “Trumpdon’tcare.” Here is a little of what we can expect to hear from people if the Republican bill becomes law:
–I can’t get coverage at an affordable price because of a preexisting condition-#Trumpdon’tcare
–My premiums went up fivefold-#Trumpdon’tcare
–I was promised better coverage under the new law and it turns out my coverage is worse-#Trumpdon’tcare
–When do we get drug prices reduced-#Trumpdon’tcare
–I lost my insurance because of Medicaid retraction-#Trumpdon’tcare
–My state put a lifetime cap on expenditures and now my family member can’t afford to continue cancer treatment-#Trumpdon’tcare
–I get worse coverage and the rich get a $600 billion tax break-#Trumpdon’tcare
–The Koch Brothers told me not to get health insurance under Obamacare and now I have a chronic disease-#Trumpdon’tcare
Good question Miranda, what the hell have I done. Truth is, not much in going door to door, so I just send money so that others can do the GOTV. Without money, there can be no outreach. Without money, there can be no gas to get voters to the polling places. I am glad that you are willing and able to canvas voters, thank you. I hope that my resources have helped in that regard. I have even used my home for GOTV folks like yourself to stay in while they are on the campaign. Not that big of deal in the big scheme of things but enough for me to recognize the importance of GOTV and of registering voters as well. I know from the past that being able to register and notarize the people you are canvasing makes a whole lot of sense, are you a notary? Did you have the voter registration forms with you when you went door to door? How about literature that gets to the gut of what your senate and house candidate stand? Did you ask the question of if they plan on early voting and if they will need transportation to the polling location and if needed, did you have the access to that transportation? A driver for the handicapped as an example? I am just a boring old fart that has seen much in my years of being me. Now, I contribute and try to sound the alarms of what works as that is what I have seen.
Regarding Joe Lowe, I am a registered Independent and I have supported him from the time he declared his intent to run for governor and thought he would have been a much better standard bearer than what we settled for. What I meant was that in all the line items Joe Lowe laid out, not once was GOTV mentioned. I know that is critical if you ever want to win. Democrats and all others are not going to change republican thinking, ever. The only way things will change is when you enlist the voters that tend to not vote. These voters are minorities, low wage earners and young folks. That is why I noted it and why it is critical to bring them into the voting system.
I also support this and would hope that South Dakota can bring this into focus and action starting now. https://www.voteriders.org/what-we-do/ While it is a great thing to talk to voters it is quite another to make sure they actually are registered currently and have the ability to go to vote. I think of the missed votes in and around the reservations, more missing the GOTV. Sioux Falls, Aberdeen, Pierre and Rapid City have substantial potential Indian voters as well as immigrant voters, lets GOTV. Maybe the SDDP is completely unaware of the need for GOTV as sometimes the obvious is overlooked. I guess we will never know as that does not seem to be something that is on the front burner. Anyone ever go to a nursing home or assisted living? I can tell you that the SDGOP sure does. The elderly will know soon enough about the cuts to their food and services, who do you think the SDGOP will blame?
When this bill cuts taxes $600 billion for rich people that means there is $600 billion less to provide healthcare for Americans who need healthcare. Whatever the tax cut dollar figure is for millionaires and billionaires, that’s how much less there will be to provide healthcare for the working poor. The poorest of the poor will have medicaid, but it’s the working poor whose healthcare the GOP Party is trading for tax cuts for the wealthy. This isn’t a healthcare bill at all. It’s a tax cut bill that eliminates healthcare funding.
BTW, I wrote to Kristi about the health care vote. Told her she was out of her mind to support a bill WORSE than the previous one supported by17% of Americans. I got just what I expected in return, a pretty picture of her on her web site with CANNED TALKING POINTS! How very typical of her deep thinking. Just do as you are told and pass these points on to your constituents! This is getting old!
Idaho wingnut Raul Labrador told a town hall meeting that no one in America dies from lack of health care. Of course he was booed and then told the crowd not to be rude.
A single quick cursory glance at Google would have provided the fool with all the info he needed to not lie outright to his constituents.
Loren,
Daschle and Johnson did exactly the same when they were in Office. Politicians don’t avoid Townhalls just to pin themselves down in a letter.
Enclose a $10,000 check next time and you will receive the hand written, personal response you would prefer. Pay to Play, baby! Pay to Play.