A Question (re: 1990's Clinton Health Care Reform)

[Proud Liberal Dem]

Why is it seeming so easy for Republicans to potentially push through Trumpcare, but the Clintons couldn't get a health care reform package through Congress back in 1993-1994 when we had the WH and both chambers of Congress? It's been awhile, so please refresh me: Was there too much intra-party opposition that Clinton (and supportive Democrats) couldn't overcome? Was the filibuster a problem in the Senate? Too much organized opposition to it in the country? I don't even think that there was ever even a vote taken, was there? President Clinton entirely failed with his and Hillary's effort, President Obama and Democrats in Congress got ACA by the skin of their teeth and that was with a near super- majority. How are Republicans under Trump (nearly) waltzing their awful "deform" package through?

[NCTraveler]

1. This is a very unique sentence.

"Why is it seeming so easy for Republicans to potentially push through Trumpcare,"

"seemingly"
"so easy"
"potentially"

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. What's unique about it?

[elleng]

2. Problem with your premise:seeming so easy for Republicans to potentially push through Trumpcare.

It AIN'T now, and it wasn't then, then a good part of it was Clinton's approach to putting it together: 'Sub-rosa' meetings with a bunch of Dem 'movers and shakers,' among other things.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Actually Dole wanted to work with Clinton to get a deal and the GOP just rolled him.

[unblock]

5. they didn't get the insurance companies on board, who opposed it with the "harry & louise" ads

those ads were highly effective at making people worried about major change and turned popular support against it.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Are the insurance companies on board for BCRA?

I've heard conflicting stories. You'd think that BCRA would hurt them more than it would help them.

[unblock]

7. i don't know, probably conflicted.

you would think they would like a stable obamacare marketplace and the subsidies, etc.
but if it's a choice between

(a) a republican law that decimates that marketplace but has big tax cuts for rich people (e.g., insurance company big wigs) or
(b) let benedict donald and his gang of incompetent thugs unleash their special brand of havoc on obamacare and "let it crash and burn",

well, maybe they'll prefer to get the tax cuts....

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. If that's the case

then they deserve to crash and burn if and when this bill becomes law. After all, Paul Ryan said that it's ok if people choose not to buy insurance. Without real financial support, a lot of people won't.

[pandr32]

9. The American Medical Association strongly opposed it

...and then in 1994 Republicans regained control of Congress. It was not going to fly.