Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) is a former Navy SEAL, so when he tells you to hush, you may want to consider keeping your mouth shut.
Former President Barack Obama has been chiming in regarding the GOP’s efforts to reverse Obamacare, which Republicans cite as the primary driver of rising healthcare costs.
After Obama posted about protecting his legacy program, Crane told him to hush, saying he had already done enough damage to the country.
Formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Obamacare was passed into law on March 23, 2010.
It presented the first major overhaul of the healthcare system since the introduction of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades prior.
The launch did not go smoothly, as the marketplace website was not set to handle the amount of traffic it received, but things were eventually sorted out.
What I, and many other people, noticed, however, was the significant rise in costs of insurance for those of us who had to pay our own way. In my case, my premiums more than doubled while my deductibles rose, and the quality of my plan decreased. For me, it was a lose-lose proposition that has only gotten worse as the years have passed (I now pay nearly $800 per month for a plan with a deductible and out-of-pocket costs of nearly $9,000 -- which means any major procedure would see me paying nearly $18,000 for medical care in a single year, triple the costs of my previous plans).
The GOP has been trying to dismantle Obamacare for years, mostly on Donald Trump’s watch, but has never been successful.
With another attempt on the horizon, Obama took to X to defend his legacy program.
He posted, "Since we passed the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have tried over and over to repeal it. And over and over, they’ve failed -- in part because millions of people now depend on the ACA for quality, affordable health care.”
His post continued, “Now Republicans are trying something different: quietly weakening the law and hoping you won’t notice. We can’t let them."
These days, you know if Obama opens his mouth, Republicans are going to fire back, and they did in a big way. Rep. Crane responded, "You've done enough damage. Probably best to sit this one out.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) also responded, "Obamacare was a great deal -- for huge healthcare companies But it’s made healthcare less affordable for hardworking American families, who have seen their healthcare costs skyrocket -- while a small handful of healthcare giants have reaped a windfall of billions of dollars a year."
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is now the president of the Young America's Foundation, added, "The worst part of Obamacare was putting able-bodied, working-age adults on government assistance instead of helping them find employment. I’ve been vocally against this since day one. Medicaid should be for needy children, families, and seniors. Not for those who can work!"
From my perspective, this legislation was a complete and utter disaster. What used to cost me less than $3,000 a year is now triple that, and that is without a major medical procedure in the mix. I have had three spinal fusions since Obamacare came into play, which drained my bank account even with having insurance due to higher deductibles and out-of-pocket increases in plans. Along with immigration, this is one of my top areas of concern, and I would love nothing more than to see Obamacare obliterated.
