The Next Front in the Battle over Obamacare

**Promoted from the diaries. – Aaron**

You may be seeing a concerted attempt by liberals and their media allies to convince you that Obamacare is 1) succeeding; 2) losing political impact for the midterms; and 3) being emphasized less frequently by Republicans on the campaign trail.

Advertisement

In fact, all three of these are false.

Just this week, we are seeing the latest front in the political battle over Obamacare, and it is being fought by a bipartisan group.

A majority of the U.S. Senate (51 Senators, including 36 Democrats), have written to the Obama administration urging them not to go through with cuts to home health care services via Medicare in the implementation of Obamacare.

I seem to recall Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) believing that a 51 vote threshold was all that was needed to “stop the obstruction” in the U.S. Senate.  Perhaps that was just rhetoric?

This week, Fox News’ Jim Angle reported that the home health care industry has already sustained $70 billion in cuts and now the administration is moving forward with another $20 billion in cuts, the maximum allowed under the law, a proposed 14 percent payment cut to home health care providers.

Fox News reporter Jim Angle and Fox News Special Report anchor Bret Baier have doggedly reported on the many complications surrounding Obamacare’s implementation.

Per an Obama administration estimate, these cuts will force up to 40 percent of home health care companies into bankruptcy, in an industry with nearly 500,000 workers.  Many patients are elderly and cannot regularly travel to doctor’s offices for health care.  The industry is majority female and the industry’s patients are also majority female.  War on Women?

Advertisement

Two Republicans, Congressmen Greg Walden (R-OR) and Tom Price (R-GA) have introduced legislation to roll back the latest round of cuts.  A summary of the bill may be found here, and it already has nine House cosponsors.

Look for the House of Representatives to bring this bill for a vote this fall, forcing Democrats to choose between supporting Obamacare and opposing a popular bill to stop cuts to home health care services which are cost effective, empower patients and reduce emergency room visits.

I can imagine a devastating TV ad in battleground states and targeted congressional races this fall.

Can Democrats really oppose such a law, mere weeks before the midterm elections?

Matt Mackowiak is syndicated columnist and an Austin, TX and Washington-based Republican consultant and president of Potomac Strategy Group, LLC. He has been an adviser to two U.S. senators and a governor, and has advised federal and state political campaigns across the country.

Recommended

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on RedState Videos