Editor,
House Republicans voted 62 times to repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act, without offering any “replacement” in its place. With the election of Trump, they worked toward voting again, this time to “repeal and replace,” but with that “replacement” being a joke on the poor, and a bonus for the rich. Can it be any wonder that Americans have reached a new level of distrust for our political leaders? Each of those 62 times voting against the ACA (Obamacare), they could instead have been voting on ways to make it work better.
I attended two town hall meetings with Steve Womack this last week at which attendees were visibly and vocally distraught, and while Womack chastised the audience for uncivil behavior, what could he reasonably expect? He was arrogant on stage. He spoke demeaningly of the audience. He talked down to us as though we could not possibly know what he knows or be as smart as he is.
On the subject of the ACA, he warned of its imminent failure and that he’ll be able to say, “I told you so.” And the truth is, it may fail. That’s exactly what they wanted in the first place and have been working forever since. Did they not vote 62 times to repeal the ACA with no replacement in sight?
For those Republicans who are brave enough during Congressional recess to face town halls of their own constituents, I have some admiration but no sympathy. If they were brave enough to simply work across the aisle with their Democratic colleagues in the first place, they would know that not everyone agrees with their extreme views. By working with Democrats to solve our nation’s problems, they would then discover that in town hall meetings they would not have to face so many angry constituents.
Doug Stowe