Congress voted to exempt its members and staffers from the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I do not blame them for exempting themselves, but I have to ask why republican members of congress did not hold out for extending that exemption to all Americans when they gave it to themselves? Instead of forcing ACA on congress, why not give Americans the same exemption congress gave itself?
Where should implementation of the ACA not be left up to the individuals who will pay for it? Why not just let Americans choose to accept, or reject the ACA on an individual basis? Why not let the ACA be an individual selection, instead of an individual mandate?
Democrats in congress will argue that the ACA will not work unless there is an individual mandate. Duh... you think? Perhaps those who do not want the individual mandate know the ACA will not work, even with the mandate. Could it be a majority of American voters know better than congress? Congress is .000004% of American voters, yet they are forcing the ACA on everyone... except themselves.
What is wrong with that picture? What is wrong with that picture is the fact that .000004% of Americans are arrogant enough to believe they know what is best for all other Americans. What is wrong with that picture is the fact that .000004% of Americans are forcing all other Americans to live under laws from which the .000004% is exempt. What is tragic about it; we Americans allow them to do it.
Personally, I do not want to force the ACA on congress and congressional staffers. I believe they should be allowed the exemption, but I want the exemption for myself, along with members of congress and their staffers. Why do members of congress, and staffers, believe they are better than those of us who pay their salaries? They believe it because we allow them to believe it.
Fox News is attempting to get all members of congress to answer whether, or not, they will exempt themselves. I submit that Fox News should attempt to get the same answer from all congressional staffers. Perhaps that question posed to staffers may encourage those staffers, who have the ears of congressional members, to fight for exemptions for all other Americans. Perhaps Fox News should expose the staffers who exempt themselves, the same way the news network works to expose their bosses.
Senator Ted Cruz, while exempting himself and his staffers, is trying to defund the ACA. He will fail, even though a majority of Americans support his effort. He could have fought to give the same exemption to Americans that he gave to himself and his staff, but that thought never entered his mind. Why did he and his republican colleagues in congress not fight that fight for all Americans?
The answer is simple; Senator Ted Cruz and his colleagues were thinking about themselves when they exempted themselves and staffers. They were not thinking about their constituents. It is business as usual for Senator Ted Cruz. He replaced a fight for his constituents with a fight for his personal agenda. He is not a hero for attempting to defund the ACA. He and his colleagues are cowards for not fighting to give all Americans the right to exempt themselves from the ACA.
The republican controlled House of Representatives had voted 40 times to repeal the ACA, knowing every time their bill would go nowhere in The Senate. How much time did the republicans waste? Why did those same republicans say no to exempting themselves unless the same exemption was given to all Americans? The answer is simple; they put personal well being ahead of their constituents.
Why should congress not fight now to give all Americans the exemption they gave themselves? It's too late now. The House of Representatives can vote to exempt Americans from the ACA now, but such a vote will go nowhere in The Senate. The Senate already has what it wants, exemption for its members and their staffers. Republicans leaped to exempt themselves before they looked for a way to exempt all Americans.
When will Americans send people to congress who will put their constituents wants and needs ahead of congressional members' personal wants and needs? The American people have no one to blame but ourselves if we re-elect any member of congress who exempts himself/herself from the personal mandate.
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