My Tweetstorm After the Senator’s Morning Joe Interview
This morning Senator Ron Johnson went on the Morning Joe television program defending the new version of Trumpcare. His main arguments were:
- Medicaid expansion was supposed to be a bridge to employment not a replacement for employment — as usual, when they start to talk about entitlements and welfare queens, more myth than fact.
- Ending Medicaid expansion just shifts the winners and losers because the exchanges knock people off of insurance too — The truth is that Medicaid expansion and the exchanges are entirely unrelated, Johnson himself suggests as much when he says the saved money will got to block grants to States (not to reducing premiums on the exchanges).
- Medicaid expansion is unfair to the States that did not accept the expansion. This is nonsense, all of those States could opt in if they wanted the money. Rewarding states for denying insurance to poor people seems both immoral and grossly inappropriate.
These are terrible arguments, which is what inspired my Tweetstorm this morning.
It is, in fact, the case that premiums are LOWER in states with the expansion and that repeal could cause a total disaster.
And guess who will be the big losers under Graham-Cassidy, yup the very same rural-poor folks who were responsible for electing President Trump.
Yes, Welfare Queen-ism is a MYTH and usually racist and always MEAN. Also, the entire exercise is designed to bribe Senators in non-Medicaid expansion states but might be opposed to ending Obamacare to get on board to get the new goodies (block grants).
So, as a Christian, it bothers me a great deal that other Christians (many in the House and Senate) are committed to hurting the poor. I don’t say this to proselytize, I say this because we are supposed to always provide support for the poor (Matthew 25):
“Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
What I am trying to suggest is that this is yet another example of the utter cruelty and disregard for the people who have the least. We have become a cruel and heartless society.
In addition, as I mentioned, research shows that Medicaid expansion has been an economic boon for states that accepted it.
Josh is a blogger and freelance writer who writes about television, movies, music, politics, ethics, and whatever else is of interest coming across his feed.
