Cruz’in in Dallas – Defund Obamacare – The Option and the Consequences

Ted Cruz, at a town hall meeting in Dallas suggested that the Congress Stop the Affordable Health Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare by simply defunding the program. He was greeted with enthusiastic support and a smattering of protestors(Dallas Morning News). One might think that Cruz is suggesting a tactic that would be so deplorable that the entire government would come to a screeching half. Frankly, should Congress halt funding, as it does hold the purse strings, one might look to history to see if it is feasible, and what type of tool it might be to stop a program that is obviously harmful to the nations financial stability and most especially the financial security and health of millions of American’s who will be shuttled into the Obamacare program, against their will.

The Kaiser Foundation offers the scenario where premiums for private pay family plans are in the neighborhood of $16,000 annually, which is a “modest increase” – As insurance carriers attempt to get out of Obama care exchanges, successfully, those employer groups are faced with the decision as to whether or not to fund employees healthcare programs or pay a smaller fine to just shove them into the nearest exchange. (Graph’s, etc., at Kaiser).

Therefore, Cruz has a good point, should Congress shut down the government, it would be an inconvenience to most American’s living on fixed incomes, but it would depend a great deal on the messaging as well as the willingness of the Republican’s in Congress and the Senate to step up and do the right thing rather than worry about how the Media and the General Public who would never vote for them anyhow, perceives those individuals. Frankly, it is a big bargaining chip to use in opposition when one is in the Congress. One might want to ask how the budget was balanced, and other reforms that drove the economy to success under the Clinton Administration were accomplished. Or, one might ask Newt Gingrich, who pushed the nation into a shutdown, as part of a larger showdown, forcing the hand of then President Clinton to act.

It was, in essence, a lot of bleating about something that bruised a few polecat class egos, and helped the nation prosper.

If one is not concerned with ego, then one might want to do something right for the nation. Cruz is obvious in his consideration for those who work for a living and the millions upon millions of individuals who will lose their healthcare, and be forced into a system that has yet to meet any of its benchmarks for readiness. In other words, those individuals will be without adequate coverage, or coverage of any kind, while employers will simply pay a fine. Meanwhile, Congress, the Unions, and others who have won exceptions from participating in the plan, will live life as normal. Whether on is a Democrat or Republican, one must take a long hard look at what the program really is, rather than base decisions on partisan nonsense and, ultimately one would find that agreement with Cruz is a normal course of action. Hopefully, there are others of his ilk ready to perform the job they were hired to do.