GOP weekly address: The ‘betrayal’ of Obamacare
(CNN) - Rep. Todd Young took his turn delivering the GOP’s weekly address on Saturday to assail Obamacare’s negative impacts on his constituents.
“This is what betrayal looks like,” the Indiana Republican said in the address, speaking of battles some of his constituents have fought with the health care law, losing coverage and gaining increased costs on their insurance premiums.
“In recent weeks, I’ve heard heartbreaking stories from many Hoosiers about the impact the new health care law is having on them and their families,” Young said.
Key to Young’s argument was a promise President Barack Obama made on the stump for his signature legislation: that Americans who liked their insurance and their doctor would be able to keep both under the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
Obama apologizes for health coverage cancellations due to Obamacare
Some plans have been cancelled because they do not meet the minimum standards of coverage mandated by the law.
“Here you have hardworking people who were repeatedly told not to worry, that their coverage would stay the same and-if anything-their costs would go down. Just the opposite is happening,” Young said.
“Adding insult to injury, the White House – the President – isn’t leveling with us. He’s trying to cover his tracks, claiming he never really made these promises.”
The disastrous rollout of the HealthCare.gov online exchanges has provided Republicans ample ammunition to attack Obama, his law and his leadership.
Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has endured withering fire from congressional Republicans during hearings on the website.
Young took his own shot at the website Saturday, speaking of constituents who spent days and weeks trying to log on.
In reaction to the delays, “I’ve authored a bill to delay this law’s individual mandate tax,” Young said.
“After all, how can you tax people for not buying a product from a website that doesn’t work?”
Young also touted the legislation House Republicans plan on introducing next week that would guarantee Americans could keep their insurance plans under Obamacare.
“No one should have to go to their inbox or mailbox in fear of finding out they’re losing a plan they like – or worse, a plan they need,” he said.
One of the few things Young did not say Saturday, however, was “repeal.” Nor “replace,” some of the GOP’s favorite rallying cries against a law the party base has despised since it was passed by Democrats on a party-line vote in 2010.
That’s not to say Young was in anyway taking it easy on Obamacare.
“We’re going to keep asking hard questions and having hearings so we can get to the bottom of this,” Young said.
“The problem isn’t just a website – it’s the whole law. Let’s stop this train wreck now.”
Talk about betrayal?
How about the 24b T-Publicans wasted in our taxpayer dollars shutting down the guvmint?
How about the con they pulled on the American people in 2010 that they would create jobs?
And while the president talks about our veterans, they continue to try and take away affordable healthcare for all Americans and still, to this day, no mention of getting people back to work. When speaking of betrayal, look no further than the T-Publican congress of the United States.
Obamacare was sold to the public based on outright and blatant LIES.
Only dolts believe Obama on this issue.
Oh the self-righteous hand wringing! You would almost think Republicans actually had a plan for health care. The Republican plan is to do nothing. Republicans don't care if people have health care. They don't care if your health care plan is any good. How's that for betrayal? The ACA is an attempt to fix the health care system in this country. It isn't perfect. It will probably be modified over time. But it's a start. If the Republicans would stop whining over a lost political battle and do something to actually help the country, the ACA could be improved a lot faster.
Some people may end up paying a few dollars mores. Millions will have health care coverage that couldn't because it wasn't affordable,they were turned against because of pre-existing conditions, were charged higher rates due to the pre-existing conditions or due to being a woman ect..
In the end everyone will be getting better coverage regardless if you are paying less or a few dollars more. Look at the end results. No one will be turned down due to any pre-existing conditions, everyone will have access to hospital, maternity, mental, prescriptions benefits and all services provided plus several preventative testing and exams are paid for at 100%. This new law has already been helping people since 2010. Preventative exams, children with pre-existing conditions, lowering senior prescription costs ect..
If you, someone in your family or someone you know personally were to be diagnosed with a life time illness that's so critical that they will need to have constant care to survive day to day, with this new law the insurance companies cannot stop paying coverage. The law has been changed to where there are no caps anymore.
It's hard enough losing someone you love due to medical reasons, but no one needs or deserves to have thousands and thousands of dollars in medical bills in the end either because the insurance companies stopped paying on that person. This law prevents that from happening anymore.
Besides the headaches from all of the computer website problems, the "Affordable Care Act" should be bringing peace of mind to millions of people. The website will be fixed.
People are losing coverage because the insurance companies they are with do not meet the new law standards.
What should have and needs to happen, is President Obama and the rest of the government needs to mandate that all health care insurance companies abide by the new law standards and if they don't then they need to fined as well or shut down all together if they can't provide for the US. This law needs to attain to everyone this would include all individuals, all the business with employees of 50 or more people and all the health care providers ect..
This is really the only way to make this law work besides getting the website fix, Everyone has to be doing the exact same thing by means of all abiding by the new law standards for health care in the "Affordable Care Act'.
Looks like all the Republicans need to do is stop making comments. Then we see where the hatred comes from.
Republicans could have taken this opportunity to honor our veterans, but they are so obsessed with the ACA, apparently it never entered their mind to do so.
I read these comments and intended to write something intelligent to add. It would not fit here! Thanks Rep Young we love ya here in IN!
Speaking of betrayal, why did the ACA cover me at a reasonable deductible for three years, and now has only plans that are unaffordable? The last time I posted I was bullied instead of answered. Any answers?
If I were the GOTP (which I'm glad I'm not), I think I would really hesitate to say others betrayed the country. Especially after their little 24+ billion gov't shutdown thing.
If the president introduce a bill where is mandatory For All the Americans buy A GUN,I am sure then tomorrow all the MF in the congress and the senate will vote YES.
the GOP, tea party, are fussing about the Affordable Care Act being a failure, what about the two wars America just fought, on the premise of a lie wmds, but most claim Christianity, but will sign off on bullets and bombs, not medicine
The GOP is just such a rip. The Healthcare.gov site is glitchy- and that's "betrayal". The GOP tries to crash the economy after holding the budget hostage and blowing billions of dollars last month... I guess that's just the way they roll- crazy and radical.
@tom l,
"@Data,
If you are truly an independent I'm really confused by the fact that you are so partisan when it comes to answers with regards to Benghazi."
Indeed. The fact that I'm not a Democratic party hack should give you pause, Tom. Pro tip: time to drop the Benghazi thing if you want to be taken seriously. It's not an issue for your team anymore. Rather like "birth certs", Benghazi sounds like it's coming from Glenn Beckistan or Alex Jonesville - i.e., the magical land of kooky conspiracies. It's time to lay it down and back away, Tom. Stick with the Obama "lies" about people keeping junk health insurance - at least that has a basis in some fact.
mm a politician that miss spoke. i thought that what politicians does. if they didn't American people will never move forward. i understand lying for the better good. but lying to keep folk depressed is another story as what the teapublican likes to do. lesson folks be honest with yourself, compare the lies you are forced to tell on a daily basis compare to the truth. i guarantee majority of Americans and the world will honesty say that their lies out number their truth, and if you are one of those people that are not living in reality and say you dont lie, you need to go to mars. the bible say dont accuse anyone of doing something they didn't do, it didn't say anything about getting your butt out of a jam. even YAH was realistic in his 10 commandment, which he went and told us not to add to nor take from.
Not a single Obama defender on here has admitted that Obama LIED when he repeatedly told the country :" If you like your health care plan, you can keep it. Period." Up to 15 million individual plans are being cancelled because they don't meet the " minimum" coverage standards. You libs defend this, saying that the new ( and more expensive) plans are worth it because they are more comprehensive. Explain to me why a 60 year old male or female should have to pay for Maternity ? Or children's dental care ? Its nothing more than a subsidy for all the deadbeat leeches who put Obama into office !
@rs–And not just the American economy, but a large part of the world. Quite few countries might take great umbrage to this. Can you see the missiles start flying? Endangering the country is not betrayal?
Bill, as soon as Republicans admit to anything (say, for example, that Republicans invented the individual mandate), then you can talk.
Good luck with an answer there Bill..Libs will tell you that they shouldnt have to pay for your kids education or something similar.. But education tax was not lied about.. It wasnt sold to America one way, and then back doored another.. Obama is a liar, but nowadays people dont really care.. they just want to either feel like they are helping the poor with other peoples money, or they are the poor looking for a hand out.. You'll never get a straight answer.. you will only be bullied.. welcome to progressive utopia..
Tony,
BUT not a SINGLE republican voted for it in 2010! Just because it was an idea from a conservative think tank in 1990ish does not make this the GOP's fault. So throw out your next line...two wars blah blah blah.
ACA is about Obama and his party...not Bush...not the GOP. It is a disaster of monumental proportions and all the liberal faithful can do is find ludicrous ways to blame the party that saw the train wreck coming.
Obamacare is imploding all by itself. The Republicans have nothing to do with that.