As a father I’ve grown used to this look. I hear my son causing a ruckus in the kitchen so I go see what he’s gotten in to. I walk around the corner and he freezes, looking up at me with a sad face, knowing he’s been caught doing something wrong. I’ve had that same experience since May 4th, watching GOP lawmakers try to explain the fact that they just voted to take away healthcare from millions of Americans while giving a tax break to the wealthy. My son at least has the humility to not throw a kegger celebrating what he’s done wrong. Mostly because he’s not heartless, but also because he’s 16-months old.
While Raul Labrador’s comment is an instant classic, “Nobody dies because they don’t have access to healthcare”, my favorite so far has been from VA-01’s very own Rob Wittman. In his note to constituents in which he tries to explain why he flip-flopped from a no to a yes, Representative Wittman uses this amazing reasoning:
We know that seniors require and deserve more robust health insurance coverage. But under the ACA, the cost of the most generous plan for older Americans is limited to three times the cost of the least generous plan for younger Americans. Many health economists say the true cost of care is 4.8-to-one. So Section 135 of the American Health Care Act changes what is known as the "permissible age variation" to a five-to-one ratio in insurance premium rates so that seniors have coverage that works for them. Simply put, seniors will be able to purchase a plan that covers their true cost of care.
In his Facebook note explaining why he’s a yes, he basically admits that taking care of seniors costs more, so lets squeeze them for every dollar. That sentiment is shameful and reflects the overall callousness that Republicans have shown in legislating healthcare, something that is a universal human right. GOP representatives feel confident making a statement as asinine as that because they feel comfortable in their seats. We need to show them that no seat is safe.
In a state like Virginia, where our Republican controlled legislature refuses to expand Medicaid and instead chooses to send our tax dollars to neighboring GOP states like Kentucky who were smart enough to expand, you can bet they will also push for waivers to save insurance companies from covering such awful pre-existing conditions like pregnancy and asthma. While you might think “what Governor would be crazy enough to take responsibility for stripping away their state’s healthcare?”, good old Scott Walker in Wisconsin comes along to answer that question for us. And the $8 billion to cover pre-existing conditions? That was only enough to pay for some “moderate” Republicans’ votes.
While it looks awful now, there is a way out of the darkness, and it starts here in Virginia. The grassroots enthusiasm here has caused progressives to run at an almost unprecedented level, competing for 82 out of 100 districts here in the state. Regardless of who wins the Democratic primary for governor, I know that either candidate will be a strong, progressive choice for Virginia as well. The momentum we build in our state elections this year, will help fuel the blue wave coming in 2018. This blue wave will allow us to move towards what we all know is the right answer, universal coverage through a single payer system. Please contact your local candidate and see how you can help. No race is too small, and no contribution is insignificant.
The following list is from PDXBuckeye. If you haven’t read his stuff, I recommend looking into it. He’s created a profile of all vulnerable house districts in the state:
Here are all of the House of Delegates Districts that make up CD-1
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DISTRICT 93 — CURRENTLY HELD BY A DEMOCRAT
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Virginia CD 1 - Edwin Santana
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