@Suzianne saidThe political pressure for Republicans in swing districts and States to vote for the extension of the enhanced subsidies still exists assuming they are as popular as they seem to be. Fear of losing an election next year is a far greater incentive than a government shutdown that hardly effects them personally.
Without Republican support (are there any Republicans with morals in the Senate?) passing the ACA subsidies is a no-go and you know it. The idea was to make the Republicans want to reopen the government so badly that they would cave in, instead of the Democrats.
As it is now, the ACA subsidies are toast. Getting some Republicans to cave in was its only hope. But ...[text shortened]... encies appreciate the subsidies for ACA (AND the ACA itself once nobody can afford it) disappearing.
This was inevitable; Republicans had no serious pressure to cave.
Luckily the same guy who recently announced "Nobody knows what magnets are" had concepts of a plan years ago.
On a side note, how lucky for our dear Reps in Congress that they were able to reconvene today without planeloads of them crashing and burning because of diminishing numbers of overworked, unpaid air-traffic controllers.
(I feel as if my sense of humor has become more cynical in an East-European way the past few years.)
@shavixmir saidI'm sure there must have been a lot of calculation involved.
Seriously? They cave now?
And all 8 of them are not up for reelection.
And two of them are stepping down.
Obviously I’m not a democrat, but if I was, I would sure love to know how much extra dollars trickled into their off-shore bank accounts.
Time was passing and a lot of people were being hurt in many practical ways by this shameful game of political chicken enacted by our elected public servants.
I bet that in mid-December the Republicans will vote to extend the ACA subsidies. That was probably the plan all along, so they could be the heroes.
As you might know in your very well-connected hidden bicycle hut in a Dutch canal, a lot of mid- and lower-income Republican voters would feel feel some severe budget crunch if the ACA subsidies were allowed to expire -- and maybe decide to take their chances and go without insurance entirely.
Therefore, I imagine the Republicans have been plotting all along to present themselves as the last minute heroes, and to paint the Democrats as the ones who messed up everyone's Thanksgiving and Christmas (well, except for people who'd rather not deal with their families pro forma) -- because they (the GOP) are essentially materialistic and power-mad sickos, with few exceptions.
@Earl-of-Trumps saidThat comes across as rather callous, given that I gather you are probably old enough to be on Medicare, and therefore your monthly health-insurance costs are both predictable and affordable.
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better luck next time lol
Please don't tell me you are Catholic or any other kind of Christian.
@Arkturos saidI was just funning with him, Kevin. And Christianity has nothing to do with it, as best I can see.
That comes across as rather callous, given that I gather you are probably old enough to be on Medicare, and therefore your monthly health-insurance costs are both predictable and affordable.
Please don't tell me you are Catholic or any other kind of Christian.
@Earl-of-Trumps saidThank goodness the smug are outnumbering the weak.
I was just funning with him, Kevin. And Christianity has nothing to do with it, as best I can see.
@Arkturos saidI wouldn't be so sure; Republicans made a habit of voting to repeal the ACA altogether for years and virtually every single one in Congress voted for the bill earlier in the year that nixed the enhanced premium subsidies.
I'm sure there must have been a lot of calculation involved.
Time was passing and a lot of people were being hurt in many practical ways by this shameful game of political chicken enacted by our elected public servants.
I bet that in mid-December the Republicans will vote to extend the ACA subsidies. That was probably the plan all along, so they could be the heroes.
...[text shortened]... ) -- because they (the GOP) are essentially materialistic and power-mad sickos, with few exceptions.
@no1marauder saidSo it sounds like they are aiming for some kind of cull.
I wouldn't be so sure; Republicans made a habit of voting to repeal the ACA altogether for years and virtually every single one in Congress voted for the bill earlier in the year that nixed the enhanced premium subsidies.
But who will do their laundry or mow their lawns or wash their dishes?