Pelosi Wants Focus on Obamacare

[applegrove]

Pelosi Wants Focus on Obamacare

September 17, 2019 at 9:11 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 169 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2019/09/17/pelosi-wants-focus-on-obamacare/

"SNIP....

Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNBC that Democrats should focus on making improvements to the Affordable Care Act instead of pushing to introduce “Medicare for All.”

Said Pelosi: “God bless 2020 Democratic presidential candidates putting forth Medicare for All proposals, but know what that entails. I believe the path to ‘health care for all’ is a path following the lead of the Affordable Care Act. Let’s use our energy to have health care for all Americans, and that involves over 150 million families that have it through the private sector.”

......SNIP"

[applegrove]

1. And Nancy puts her foot on the scale. I'm in canada. Public health care works.

It keeps costs lower than the systems the usa has by about 1/3. But i don't want to risk Trump winning again for anything. Once a mixed obamacare plan is improved by a democratic president and people see and feel how great it is, just like what happened with obamacare, they'll be more open to full public health care in the future. I'm not supporting any candidate. Just looking at the big picture. If Elizabeth Warren can change americans' view on medicare for all in the next year then great.

[George II]

31. A quick summary - the first "universal" (not entirely) healthcare was passed in 1968...

....and it slowly evolved until 1984 when the Canada Health Act was passed, which replaced the original legislation and consolidated various other health insurance legislation.

It didn't happen overnight, it took almost 20 years to refine, and it only had to cover about 25 million people at the time.

There are 330 million people in the United States, covering them all is a much more complicated matter with many more obstacles to overcome.

The ACA is in place, it's been in place for almost ten years, it should be strengthened and expanded rather than throw it out for something new.

PLUS, anyone planning on "Medicare for All" and doing away with private insurance companies hasn't done his/her homework. Private insurance companies are an integral part of existing Medicare. Medicare would flounder without the involvement of private insurance companies.

[Cha]

2. I can see why.. it got us the Blue Wave!

She advised candidates to talk about healthcare/ACA and about 40 red seats were flipped to Blue.

That's real.. it happened. That's why, for instance, Corey Lewandowski was able to be questioned today by the lawyer, Barry Berke!

[PoliticAverse]

3. The ACA is how Republicans got the House and Senate back. The 40 red seats got flipped back

to Democrats because of Trump.

[aeromanKC]

5. Yes and No

Yes if it were 2010. No if it was 2018. The 2018 Blue wave was ACA based and the majority of those 40 seats were picked up in moderate districts.

[PoliticAverse]

8. If you pick up seats they are likely to be picked up in "moderate" districts for obvious reasons.

Extreme districts you either hold already or have little chance to flip. The reason 2018 resulted in change is because
turnout hit record highs (see: https://www.npr.org/2018/11/08/665197690/a-boatload-of-ballots-midterm-voter-turnout-hit-50-year-high ) and Democratic voters showed up because of anger at Trump.

[betsuni]

6. Top issue for voters in 2018 was health care.

[PoliticAverse]

9. The reason Democratic voters showed up in record numbers in 2018 was Trump. n/t

[betsuni]

14. In your opinion, why do you think Democratic voters didn't show up in record numbers in 2016?

[PoliticAverse]

15. Lots of Democrats didn't think Trump had a chance of winning. That coupled with

the fact that Clinton wasn't quite as popular as Obama (so fell short of his numbers).

[betsuni]

17. I think this is true.

"Unlike racial solidarity among African Americans or racial solidarity among whites, gender consciousness has not typically been a substantial force in modern American political behavior." From "Identity Crisis."

[Cha]

12. Yes! Nancy won on healthcare!

Democrats Won a Mandate on Health Care. How Will They ...

Nov 10, 2018 - Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats stressed protections for pre-existing conditions in the midterm elections. ... In addition, many Democrats say they want to provide more money to help consumers enroll in health insurance ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/us/politics/health-care-democrats-congress.html

[Cha]

10. So? That was then.. this is Now..

People have wised up since all the smears and Lies. Turns out it saved lives and they really appreciated that pre-existing conditions didn't disqualify anyone.

Democrats Won a Mandate on Health Care. How Will They ...

Nov 10, 2018 - Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats stressed protections for pre-existing conditions in the midterm elections. ... In addition, many Democrats say they want to provide more money to help consumers enroll in health insurance ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/us/politics/health-care-democrats-congress.html

[Meadowoak]

19. But it only took 10 years for the blue Wave.

[Cha]

21. It Happened.. that's what I care about

right now.

[empedocles]

4. The Speaker keeps the big picture 2020 strategy in mind

[Cha]

13. Yes, Nancy does. She didn't get where

she is today by accident.

Democrats Won a Mandate on Health Care. How Will They ...

Nov 10, 2018 - Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats stressed protections for pre-existing conditions in the midterm elections. ... In addition, many Democrats say they want to provide more money to help consumers enroll in health insurance ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/us/politics/health-care-democrats-congress.html

[betsuni]

7. Pelosi is correct.

[JI7]

11. and she is right, people KNOW ACA and LIKE ACA . it is now an issue we can win on

if there is something better, well work on it and pass it and let is succeed and then we can run on that. until then we having an winning issue that we need to use instead of something that even those who say they are for don't know anything about .

[Chemisse]

16. She is right on this.

The ACA has widespread popularity. Medicare for All is ripe for sharp criticism that will stick.

Let's win the election first!

[JI7]

18. yup, at least when we lost in 2010 we actually had passed it so we got something

even if we lost and in the not so long run it has become an issue that helps us.

with MFA we have nothing and those who support it don't even seem to know much about it. it's just a slogan at this point .

[betsuni]

20. It is a slogan.

When Bernie was asked how he would deal with the health care issue in 2017 with Republicans in charge, he said add the public option and Medicare at 55 to the ACA. Same as the 2016 Democratic Party platform.

[peggysue2]

28. Let's win the election first!

Yes, 1000x. Without a win? Nada. Not to mention that the running meme of Medicare for All is not that popular with the general public, particularly with banning private, work-related health insurance. Nancy Pelosi has her finger on the country's pulse which is why she's been so successful.

[GeorgeGist]

22. What bills has Nancy et Al passed to improve Obamacare?

[Demsrule86]

23. You need the Senate but winning the house stopped the GOP ratfucking with the ACA and other

stuff...run a perceived moderate candidate like Biden (he is actually progressive) and maybe we take back the Senate...then we can pass important policy.

[George II]

33. As many as those who have gotten "Medicare for All" passed. And she got the original ACA passed.

So she's one up on everyone else combined.

[Cha]

36. Snap!

[madville]

24. We all know M4A has zero chance of passing in the coming decades

This was Nancy saying "Bless their hearts" to it's advocates because it won't pass Congress anytime soon. It's pretty reckless for candidates to go around promising M4A will become a reality under their administration because they won't be able to deliver and it's not popular with the overall population.

[NurseJackie]

25. It's good to hear a voice of reason... thank you!

[BeckyDem]

26. Wrong response.

[BigMin28]

27. Where does that leave

those not covered with the Afforable Care Act?

[Joe941]

30. Exactly. It leaves them in the gutter.

[MontanaFarmer]

32. She's protecting her caucus

Plus, the ACA is more popular than MFA. We might actually be able to salvage it, add a public option, and improve health care outcomes for people that way. MFA is a great idea that's politically impossible and not that popular anywhere but the left. The ACA with a robust public option is the ultimate, long- term path to single payer. To state otherwise ignores our political reality.

[comradebillyboy]

34. Once again Pelosi is correct...nt

[Amimnoch]

35. Well.. congress gets to decide it, not our POTUS candidates.

MFA.. ACA.. Something that progresses us.. nothing at all..

Not determined by our candidates running for POTUS, but by Congress. Was an incredibly stupid move for our candidates to start pooling in ideas that the office they are seeking has no power.. at all.. to effect.

I feel fairly confident we'll hold the House in 2020 given all indicators at this time.

The Senate's going to be a different creature.



We have to gain either 4 seats AND the Presidency to oust Moscow Mitch from the Majority leader seat, or gain 5 seats. That is NOT a pretty map to do that with. Unless Alabama gives us another Roy Moore, we are almost definitely going to lose that seat increasing our need to win numbers from 4/5 to 5/6.

Repairing our damaged image abroad? The POTUS.
Shutting down the harmful executive orders? The POTUS
Replacing the disaster of an executive cabinet that we have right now? The POTUS.

Healthcare insurance reform? not so much. Just need a POTUS that will sign off on any bill that congress does pass that pushes us forward, but first WE need to provide OUR POTUS with a congress that will pass it.

Personally, I think we need much more than a Healthcare insurance reform bill. I think we need to pass a bill that is Jobs+education+network expansion+health insurance reform. My idea I'd posted at:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=281939