Obamacare was not rushed through
To the editor:
“Health care coverage is too important of an issue for it to be rushed through for passage like Obamacare,” This statement came from an editorial in the Marshall Independent this week.
This latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is being rushed through with no CBO score, which should be the bare minimum required for beginning consideration. I agree with the editorial on this point.
The Affordable Care Act, by contrast, was debated in three House committees and two Senate committees and subject to hours of bipartisan debate that allowed for the introduction of amendments.
This, from Robert Pear of the New York Times:
In June and July 2009, with Democrats in charge, the Senate health committee spent nearly 60 hours over 13 days marking up the bill that became the Affordable Care Act. That September and October, the Senate Finance Committee worked on the legislation for eight days — its longest markup in two decades. It considered more than 130 amendments and held 79 roll-call votes. The full Senate debated the health care bill for 25 straight days before passing it on Dec. 24, 2009.
With all due respect, I fail to see how the processes are in any way similar. “Rushed through like Obamacare?” I hardly think so.
Mark Wilmes
Tyler
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