Bush, Walker eye new ‘nuclear option’

[DonViejo]

By Steve Benen

In his weekly address over the weekend, President Obama made a straightforward vow, intended to set families’ minds at ease: the Affordable Care Act is “here to stay.” His confidence is understandable, since the King v. Burwell case was effectively the anti-healthcare forces’ last real shot to undermine the law and take benefits from millions.

But, skeptics might say, what about 2017? What about the not-at-all-fanciful possibility that, a year and a half from now, Americans will have elected a Republican president to work with a Republican Congress? It stands to reason that a GOP-dominated federal government might get to work dismantling the current American health care system.

Democrats believe the law is “here to stay,” however, because of the legislative process – Senate Dems would obviously filibuster any attempt to start taking benefits away from families. Unless GOP senators had 60 votes – an unlikely scenario – a Republican repeal plan would fail.

Unless, that is, Republicans change the rules. Bloomberg Politics reported late last week:

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said Friday he’s open to eliminating the Senate’s 60-vote threshold if it helps Congress repeal Obamacare and enact “free-market oriented” health care reforms.

-snip-

more
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/bush-walker-eye-new-nuclear-option?cid=eml_mra_20150629

[cascadiance]

1. I'm wondering that with Fast Track authority (TPA) if even that will be necessary or not...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026920569

if they can have Obamacare or some bill nullifying it classified as a "free trade" bill or something that is joined with other "free trade" legislation to have it go in with the same rules that TPP will have to allow it to pass in a few weeks.

There has to be a reason that almost all of the Republicans lined up with "socialist" Barack Obama to pass that mess! I really think that it is something like this, as evidenced by the article you've quoted here too.

[HassleCat]

2. Careful, big gray elephant

The "nucalurr" option looks good when you need to do something such as repealing the socialist Kenyan's attempt to make you change doctors. If the political pendulum swings back the other way, you will regret this mightily.

[Fawke Em]

3. We had "free market oriented" health care before.

It didn't work.