Healthcare

Here’s a Stupid Idea

Written by SK Ashby

House Republicans have seemingly abandoned the idea of threatening to shut down the government, so they need to find another way to stir shit up, right?

Well, there's always Obamacare.

According to the Wall Street Journal, some House Republicans are threatening to not reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) if it's not tied to a measure to repeal part of Obamacare.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Republicans may attempt to use the CHIP deadline as a vehicle to revive their effort to chip away at the Affordable Care Act, and could try to attach amendments to the bill to reauthorize its funding.

Congressional sources told the Wall Street Journal that Republicans are in particular looking at linking a repeal of Obamacare’s medical device tax to CHIP. Other lawmakers are considering amendments that would stabilize Obamacare’s marketplaces, fearing that a standalone bill to do so would either not pass Congress or would draw a presidential veto.

I'll go out on a limb and say that neither of these things are going to happen.

Regarding the Children's Health Insurance Program -- congressional Democrats should laugh in their faces and dare them to hold children's health care hostage over an obscure tax on medical devices that your average person doesn't give two shits about.