Last week marked the 12th anniversary of President Barack Obama signing the Affordable Care Act into law in the East Room of the White House.
The law would become one of the key achievements of the Obama Administration, providing access to healthcare for tens of millions of Americans, but for some "Obamacare" was kindling that would ignite the fire behind the Tea Party and a national backlash against the transformative legislation.
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At least 23 of America’s 25 most prestigious medical colleges and universities have some form of mandatory student training of coursework on ideas related to critical race theory (CRT), according to CriticalRace.org. (Credit: iStock)
Twelve years later, Senator Rick Scott has ignited another fire, this time calling into question not just the ACA, but also questioning the core foundation of this nation’s health care infrastructure and vital programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Scott, who chairs the GOP senate campaign arm, released an 11-point agenda dubbed the "Rescue America" plan as a guidepost for Republicans if they are successful in recapturing the majority in November.
Senator Rick Scott was pressed about his plan by Fox News Channel’s John Roberts on Fox News Sunday this past weekend. Speaking on Scott’s published GOP campaign agenda, Roberts said, "You recently put out an 11-point plan to rescue America, two of the big points of which are, ‘All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount. Currently over half of Americans pay no income tax.’ It also says: ‘All federal legislation sunsets in five years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.’ So that would raise taxes on half of Americans and potentially sunset programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Why would you propose something like that in an election year?"
In response to Roberts’s question, Scott grew animated and dismissed his line of questioning as "Democrat talking points," rather than attempting to defend his GOP campaign agenda.
By all accounts, the first midterm election in a president’s term rarely bodes well for that president and his party. But as someone who works to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, I completely accept the gift Scott has given Democrats ahead of the fall midterms. In fact, I want him to travel all over the country pushing it.
The Republican agenda is muddled at best. Even as Scott laid out his plans, the GOP leader in the upper chamber, Senator Mitch McConnell, tried to throw cold water and publicly resisted efforts by caucus members to lay out a proactive agenda for Republicans if they’re successful in the midterms.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)
As our nation regains some semblance of normalcy coming out of the two years of COVID-imposed darkness, healthcare will certainly be a critical issue heading into the election. During the last midterms in 2018, Democrats were able to flip the House of Representatives campaigning on strengthening the ACA in many competitive districts turning an animating issue on the right from 2010 into a winning message just eight years later.
A record number of Americans signed up to get health care coverage this past January through the ACA insurance marketplaces and President Biden has worked to expand access and increase subsidies through the American Rescue Plan. If Republicans regain control in the senate and Scott’s agenda is adopted, the new health care coverage of those 14.5 million Americans will not just be in jeopardy, but all of the other key components in the ACA will be on the chopping block including support for people with preexisting conditions.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Additionally, nearly 64 million Americans receive their health care coverage through Medicare with an additional 75 million enrolled in Medicaid. Both government-run health agencies were signed into law back in 1965 and have been the cornerstones of our nation’s health infrastructure for nearly 60 years. Similarly, Social Security provides critical monthly funds for nearly 70 million individuals, including millions of disabled Americans. Any attempts to change foundational aspects of any of these laws have been met with fierce opposition over the years, which is why Scott’s published policy agenda is so dangerous to GOP campaign strategy in 2022.
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Mitch McConnell has served in the Senate for nearly 40 years, while Scott is halfway through his first term in the chamber. Rather than heeding his senior colleague’s advice, Scott has pushed forward with his disastrous policy agenda that calls into question the very notion of Medicare, Medicaid, the ACA, and Social Security.
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You can bet Democrats will be sharing this disastrous and massively unpopular Republican agenda with voters. Thank you, Senator Scott!
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