The House voted today 235-193, approving a health care plan by Paul Ryan, Republican from Wisconsin who's chairman of the House Budget committee. Under it, Medicare payments would no longer be paid by government for medical bills, but would let people under age 55 choose among private insurance plans that the government would then supplement. Those 55 and over would remain in the current system, but younger workers would receive subsidies that would steadily lose value over time. Ryan says those who can pay more will have to do so while lower income Americans will still be covered.
Now, whether this plan ultimately ever becomes law, what I thought most interesting was the opposition's immediately ballistic reaction, screaming about how the legislation would kill seniors in droves and leave ill elders out in the cold with nowhere to turn for help.
John Boehner, the House speaker then jumped in and said, "The changes being proposed would not affect one senior citizen in America, not one, because Paul's made it clear than anyone 55 and over would not see changes."
So, in summary, it likely doesn't matter at all what the proposed legislation really says when it comes to introducing change, because the other side doesn't actually care at all, it only wants to scream "no." And that means that something I've suggested before really ought to be tried.
Lawmakers should write bills containing everything their opposition loves and introduce that legislation early in the game. Then when their opponents takes the absolute opposite side, because they'll certainly never agree to something suggested by their foes, those who introduced the bill will get exactly what they want.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
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