Health care for millions and democracy itself is now at risk

Published July 28, 2017

By Chris Fitzsimon

by Chris Fitzsimon, NC Policy Watch and NC SPIN panelist, July 26, 2017.

It is not just health care for 30 million people at stake these days. Democracy is hanging by a thread too-in Raleigh and in Washington.

First, consider the spectacle of Sen. John McCain, arriving back in Washington Tuesday for the first time since being diagnosed with brain cancer.

McCain received a standing ovation from his colleagues as he dramatically made his way on to the Senate floor as the vote was underway on proceeding with debate on massive health care legislation that no one had seen, a proposal that had never been before a committee or discussed at a public hearing and one that could take health care coverage away from as many as 26 million people.

One longtime national reporter noted that she’d been covering Congress since 1984 and had never seen a breach of legislative process as serious as the one on display this week.

McCain, who in many ways is undeniably an American hero, made a blistering speech in which he blasted the unusual way the health care debate was proceeding in the Senate—but the remarks came after he cast the deciding vote to allow the extraordinarily undemocratic process he was criticizing to proceed.

The motion to begin the debate passed after Vice-President Mike Pence broke the 50-50 tie that McCain’s vote created. Sen. Thom Tillis and Sen. Richard Burr were both among the 50 senators that voted to proceed without knowing what they were proceeding on, and both told the media that they would vote for almost anything that would pass.

No profiles in courage there.

In Raleigh this week, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is scrambling because of last minute budget cuts made by state lawmakers last month that will literally make it more difficult for him to keep rapists and murders behind bars and to protect seniors from fraud and predatory financing schemes.

The $10 million budget cut that could force Stein to lay off more than 100 attorneys was not in the budgets passed by the House or Senate, it just magically appeared in the final budget agreement negotiated in the backrooms by legislative leaders.

There has still been no real explanation for the cuts, other than Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger saying that Republican leaders did not like the way Stein was doing his job.

Not too long ago in Raleigh people in both political parties would howl if something appeared in the final budget that was not in either the House or Senate spending plan.

It is against the rules of the General Assembly and it violates a fundamental principle of the legislative process by allowing a handful of lawmakers to make important decisions in secret, away from the media, away from the public and even away from rank and file senators.

The media would traditionally howl too back in the day. If there was one thing folks in Raleigh and Washington could agree on in our democracy it was that everyone should have their say.

That was especially true in the U.S. Senate that used to be described as the greatest deliberative body in the world. Maybe that was always a bit of an exaggeration but it is not close to true anymore.

The fact that Sen. Tillis voted to proceed with the wildly undemocratic process this week comes as no surprise. Just a few years ago as state House Speaker, Tillis engineered the passage of restrictions on abortion rights by a last minute maneuver attaching them to a motorcycle safety bill.

Say what you want about Obamacare, one of the most unfairly maligned laws in a generation, it passed in 2009 after the Senate Health committee spent more than 60 hours of public debate over 10 days modifying it.

The Senate Finance Committee met 53 times to consider the proposal, took up 130 amendments, and had 79 roll-call votes, all out in public where everyone could see. As a recent story in Fortune Magazine pointed out, there were also 44 public hearings on Obamacare held in the Senate alone.

President Obama himself once answered questions in public about the ACA for 90 minutes. President Trump has yet to explain any of the details of the health care law that the House has passed and the Senate is considering to replace it.

Instead, the Senate this week debated legislation affecting 1/6 of the national economy—not to mention the lives of 50 million people—without even so much as a fake public hearing or staged committee hearing. They do not want to talk about the details of what they are proposing. They would rather people not know.

But democracy does not work like that in the long run, with people locked out of participating in it. Senator McCain has made that point powerfully in the past and he made it again this week, his dumbfounding vote on Tuesday notwithstanding.

Many folks on the Right used to join with progressives to make the same point, that transparency and open debate and thoughtful consideration of important issues are all essential ingredients of a thriving democratic system of government.

Not anymore. The allies of the folks running the legislative branches of government in Raleigh and Washington are not the least bit concerned with the democratic means.

It is all about their ideological ends that justify everything, including people suffering without health coverage and the crumbling of a once vital democratic process.

http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2017/07/26/health-care-millions-democracy-now-risk/

July 28, 2017 at 10:05 am
Norm Kelly says:

Have I bothered to read this post from an arch-left wing zealot? Nope. Can't waste time; have to work for a living.

When we were lied to by left wing zealots across the nation, from the highest office, to the at-the-time speaker, media allies of the left, and numerous other sources, about the 'benefits' of socialized medicine, where were zealots like the author of this post? When the liars told us that we could keep our plan, keep our doctor, knowing at the time it was a lie, which left-winger came out to worry about the millions who would lose their insurance coverage? When death panels were predicted, and those who knew better lied about it, which left-wing ally corrected the record? When coverage for illegal aliens was predicted under phase 1 of socialized medicine, which left-wing ally questioned lib pols about it being true?

So, now that the failing, collapsing experiment in socialism is ready to be repealed, the free market is going to be allowed back into reality, arch-left-wing zealots are going to feign concern about those who might have some benefits cut? The same people who lied about actually covered, self-paid American citizens being cut, want us to now show concern for their schemes & lies? They want us to believe they are FINALLY telling the truth? And finally concerned about actual Americans?

When arch-left-wing zealots start worrying about, and telling, the truth, then perhaps we'll care what they have to say or write. But until truth and concern for America and American citizens penetrates the schemes of leftists, we don't care what you worry or blather about.

When left-wingers start worrying about actual, provable, factual corruption and law-breaking within their own ranks, we'll listen to your worries. When leftists stop with schemes and start with plans, we'll start listening again.

But, since your party is mired in socialism, schemes, lies, collusion, law-breaking, we know not to pay attention. We know that what you say & do is meant to promote your party, not America or citizens. Your schemes are intended to promote power within your ranks, the elitist among you, not to help anyone, not to improve America, not to promote economic growth, not to bring Americans together. Left wing schemes are designed to segregate groups of people to fight & argue amongst themselves in order to promote them not paying attention to the destruction being implemented by lib leaders!

Prove me wrong. List all the lib pols, arch-left-wing zealots, who have shown concern for and implemented IDEAS that promote economic growth, promoted independence, promoted America & American citizens. I won't hold my breath while waiting for another lib to fail!

July 29, 2017 at 1:45 pm
Mark C. Rearick says:

What an idiot !! Typical of right-wing ideologues who don't want to be "confused" by facts. Read the article you dope and you'll see who panders to the elite. Trump and his family have broken more laws in six months than Obama did in eight years. Your boys vote yes for something they don't know, or understand how it will affect millions of Americans, just to give that imbecile in the White House a "victory". And, BTW, ask him to explain ANYTHING about health care and his answer is " it's very difficult" !! Particularly difficult for someone with ZERO intellectual curiosity, OR any interest in learning about ANY issues. Keep blindly following this guy,Norm - great move.

July 28, 2017 at 1:09 pm
Susan Young says:

Your article brings tears to my eyes. How much longer will some (too many) of the people be fooled all of the time? It seems good people want to believe everything someone in power ever says. Here's a quote for you,

If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.

Adolph Hitler

July 29, 2017 at 2:27 pm
Pat Kelley says:

Well said, Chris. As an unaffiliated voter who appreciates a good honest debate regarding the issues (like those on NC Spin!), I realize that the political party currently in office probably does not really care what you think, however. Officeholders like Phil Berger and Trudy Wade always seem thin-skinned and/or angry about something and consequently wield their current power to make others suffer. For instance, would $10 million have been cut from the Attorney General's budget had this person been a Republican? Or would weekly community newspapers face losing their significant legal ad revenue if officeholders were not called out for often sponsoring spiteful legislation? I think not. Even our bullying president seems to bear this obvious trait of insecurity. Do folks like these ever sincerely smile and/or act civil to those who disagree with them? Have you noticed how they react when they are called out? No remorse whatsoever ... just more bad behavior. I am hopeful that Sen. Richard Burr will take his upcoming assignment seriously during the independent investigation of the person currently in the Oval Office. Perhaps he can then redeem himself from voting for the repeal of Obamacare (which would have adversely affect thousands of North Carolinians, including some in my family). I'm sure no one missed the irony that Sen. John McCain made the deciding vote after being unfairly dissed by the president for being "captured" while serving our country! You know, what goes around comes around ... those now acting poorly in office should be reminded of that truism.

July 29, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Johnny Hiott says:

The pure rhetoric being given to the public over the "imagined" repeal of the most disastrous piece of garbage legislation ever produced by the weasels in congress is unbelievable. The only difference I see in democrats and republicans these days is the republicans are too cowardly to admit they too are democrats determined to destroy every vestige of freedom in this nation. The only way congress will EVER repeal the garbage obamacare is for President Trump to REVOKE the executive exemption obama signed and therefore FORCE the gentry class congress-weasels to purchase insurance via obamacare. I urge President Trump to revoke ALL benefits which congress-weasels have given themselves from health insurance, health care, retirement benefits and anything else this coven of 535 weasels have garnered for themselves. It is long past time they were brought back down to the level of the people they NEVER represent. It is time for lobbyist to be outlawed. It is time for lawyers to be BANNED from serving in congress or even being in the district of corruption unless they are defending themselves or the weasels in congress for crimes they have committed against this nation. The "central" government in the USA no longer even functions as a government. It is the worlds largest criminal organization and controls everything from illegal drugs, money laundering and murder incorporated. It no longer taxes the citizens it now extorts monies from the citizens. Government of the people by the people ? If it was not destroyed by the criminal lincoln it surly was by the congress-weasels of 2017.

July 31, 2017 at 11:50 am
Susan Young says:

I assumed when I wrote a comment about lies that everyone would know it was the Republicans who were doing it and have been doing it for years. Good grief, Guys.

How do you know what the truth is? Obviously, many people don't understand how to determine that. That simple study in school is no longer taught. You know: the difference between fact and opinion and how to tell which is which.

Hang in there, Chris. Your voice of reason is needed more than ever.