To the editor: Readers sound off on the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare

Citizens lost on health care

It’s difficult to tell who was more joyful over the failure of the Republican fix on health care, Journal Sentinel editors or Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The front-page headline and the accompanying photo of Pelosi on the back page seem to make it a tight race (“Humiliating loss for Trump, Ryan,” March 25).

Overlooked are the citizens and taxpayers who remain under the current health care plan, which we are told is going to implode.

Naively, I actually thought the purpose of sending elected officials to Washington is to govern and make laws that are good for their constituents. We, the people, are the ones who have lost something as our politicians continue their divided journey into a questionable future.

Wayne Lippert

Brookfield

A net, not a hammock

Headline: “Humiliating loss for Trump, Ryan.”

Really? How about “Trump, Ryan effort to salvage Obamacare disappointing?”

Everyone agrees that Obamacare will self-destruct unless President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan save it. I personally hope that they let it fail and the Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, beg them to save it and they refuse!

The federal government should provide a “health care safety net” for Americans, just like they do for food, housing and education, not a “hammock” like Obamacare!

Dick Zirbel

Waukesha

Explosion is not an option

Well, Trumpcare is in a legislative coma and Obamacare remains legislatively paralyzed.

Here’s an idea. By now, the greater GOP must recognize that all the tea party Republicans want is to neuter our government under the guise of “individual freedom.” And rational minds in both parties probably now agree that it would have been a great idea to negotiate a buy-in from the other party. After all, even the president has figured out that this health care stuff can be “complicated.”

First, outlaw the use of the word “Obamacare” and rename the ACA Health Care Plan the WIP (Work In Progress) Health Care Plan. Then we will be roughly where we were seven years ago. Then, by a flip of a coin, the winning party gets to invite the other party (not “losing” party) to help it apply lessons learned over the past seven years and improve on the legislatively untouched existing health care plan that apparently a lot of Americans want to keep, if not improve.

America to Congress: explosion is not an option. And since we now all know that this health care stuff can be complicated, Congress should repeat as needed to give Americans something we can both afford and be proud of.

Bob Heritsch

Brookfield

ACA was GOP plan

Did everyone forget the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, was the Republican plan?

Heritage Foundation, a Republican think tank, came out with this plan nearly two decades ago. Hailed by the likes of Newt Gingrich, John McCain and many others, and put in place at the time by Gov. Mitt Romney in Massachusetts, the mandatory clause was spun by Republicans as personal responsibility; we all use it from birth to death.

After years and over 60 votes to repeal Obamacare, Republicans never put up a better plan. Suddenly, in 15 days, they attempted to pass a health care bill that former President Barack Obama took nine months to pass.

Epic failure; nobody knew how complicated health care was, so said President Donald Trump. He was the only one. Duh. Anyone tired of winning yet?

Jeffrey Unger

Sullivan

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