Letter: Why all the secrecy with the GOP health care bill?
Recently, Republican members of Congress rushed through legislation designed to deliver on their pledge to repeal and replace the ACA, releasing the bill only 16 hours before the actual vote. This breaks the promise made on page 35 of the GOP Pledge to America: “We will ensure that bills are debated and discussed in the public square by publishing the text online for at least three days before coming up for a vote in the House of Representatives. No more hiding legislative language from the minority party, opponents, and the public. Legislation should be understood by all interested parties before it is voted on.”
No public debate, limited floor debate, no updated CBO score. Why all the secrecy? Maybe because the bill represents another broken promise, the one that President Trump made to lift up America’s “forgotten men and women.” Instead, this bill represents a huge wealth transfer from the poor and middle class to the rich. Remember previous CBO estimates: “In 2026, an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.”
Those uninsured could be you, your family members, your friends. Think about it.
Nancy Isern, Kennewick
This story was originally published May 18, 2017 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Letter: Why all the secrecy with the GOP health care bill?."