By REV 21 Staff Writer
June 24, 2017
“This bill innately divides America’s health care system into two parts: one in which the healthy and wealthy are provided a system because they can afford it, while the unfortunate citizens who have health and financial issues and do not have access to funds or resources are left to survive on their own.”
As the date comes to a close, President Trump and his allies are putting all their efforts forward to help Senate GOP leaders pass a new health care bill next week.
However, there has been a lot of resistance and concern among many of the senators. Out of the hundred senators, only fifteen appear to have agreed with the bill while many are still reviewing with some still concerned and active in creating negotiations. Several other politicians have also been public about their concerns for the bill. Congressman Joe Kennedy III among one of the top.
One of the biggest new resistors on the field is Senator Dean Heller (R-Nev.) who announced that he would not vote for the legislation without revisions, especially on the point of the long-term spending cuts to Medicaid.
“I cannot support a piece of legislation that takes away insurance from tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Nevadans,” Senator Heller said at a news conference in his home.
Senator Dean Heller
“I cannot support a piece of legislation that takes away insurance from tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Nevadans.”
As a bill that shows to be disadvantageous to low-income Americans, Heller is particularly concerned about making sure there is continuous coverage for the low-income Americans from the ACA in which Medicaid had been extended for them.
He is afraid the bill would cost states “hundreds of millions of dollars each year to keep people insured.” Although Heller is open to voting for the legislation, he will only do so if there are some changes made to it–particularly in higher growth rates–which might push conservatives to withdraw.
With this in mind, there has been a seven-figure investment made by a Republican super PAC in advertisement targeted at Nevada to pressure Heller to pass the bill. They hope to make more investments if needed to other areas that have senators who are still unsure about the bill.
Truly, the checks and balances system of the American government is showing its importance by encouraging negotiations to lead to a majority rule.
As a bill that clearly places the non-wealthy in a position of more helplessness, it is important to take such delicate provisions in ensuring that the required rights of Americans are protected.
This bill innately divides America’s health care system into two parts: one in which the healthy and wealthy are provided a system because they can afford it, while the unfortunate citizens who have health and financial issues and do not have access to funds or resources are left to survive on their own.
The influence of Republican Super PACs in the decision making process aligns with the interest group theory in which myriad interest groups act outside of the political process to influence legislators to pass a bill.
This creates lots of negotiations and compromises so that in the end every group is represented. However, this process can also create an issue because this can give a lot of power to a small group of people. In this case, wealthy conservatives.
Hopefully, resistance from people like Senator Heller and others will create necessary negotiations to cover all Americans, if not, then possibly disapproving the bill it all together.