On to my current event post...
As I'm sure many of you heard about (or actually saw if you managed to stay up until 1:00 on Thursday night), the Republican's effort to repeal and replace Obamacare is effectively dead. The last nail in the coffin was driven in by a most unlikely person - 30 year Senator John McCain.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top ranking Senate Republicans unveiled their final attempt to repeal Obamacare - "skinny repeal" - just hours before the Senate was to vote on it. Until that moment nobody outside of a group of 13 men had any idea what was in the bill, and now they were being asked to vote for it in the middle of the night without a real chance to read it. The Republicans expected their fellow Senators would vote for it simply because they were told to. The Democrats on the other side of the aisle assumed every Republican save 2 - Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, both adamant critics of the bill and process to write it from the beginning - would vote for it and that Obamacare would be no more. Then John McCain strode into the well of the Senate and gave a thumbs down signal and said a single word, "no". And with that the GOP effort to repeal Obamacare was dead - killed by one of their own.
The audible gasps from Republicans and clapping from Democrats aside, this was a very dramatic moment of the kind that has not been seen in the Senate for decades. However, maybe it shouldn't have been quite as surprising as we think.
John McCain has had a reputation as a "maverick" for years - meaning that he isn't afraid to go against the wishes of his party to do what he thinks is right. In this case John McCain decided to vote against the GOP's "skinny repeal bill" not just because of what was in it (or wasn't in it), but because of the process his party used to craft the bill. Before his vote late Thursday night McCain gave an impassioned speech about the process that was used to write the bill and the current state of the Senate. The speech (below) is one that we will come back to during the year when we cover Congress and the responsibility of our representatives and Senators.
Perhaps the most important part of the speech was:
"This place is important. The work we do is important. Our strange rules and seemingly eccentric practices that slow our proceedings and insist on our cooperation are important. Our founders envisioned the Senate as the more deliberative, careful body that operates at a greater distance than the other body from the public passions of the hour."We are an important check on the powers of the Executive. Our consent is necessary for the President to appoint jurists and powerful government officials and in many respects to conduct foreign policy. Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the President's subordinates. We are his equal!"All of this drama has helped to make the fight to repeal Obamacare front page news and hopefully has driven Americans to ask some important questions about the state of our democracy. So, rather than focusing on the healthcare fight (which I'm sure is far from over), instead let's focus on what we should take away from the dramatic events that unfolded on the Senate floor.
Sources for Further Reading:
The week John McCain shook the Senate - from The Washington Post
John McCain's Maverick Moment - from CNN
5 Takeaways From the Failed Senate Effort to Repeal Obamacare - from The New York Times
Dems pivot to offering ObamaCare improvements - from TheHill.com
Questions for Discussion:
- Do you agree with John McCain's assessment of the current state of the Senate and American politics?
- McCain called for compromise in his speech, is that even possible anymore?
- How will McCain's vote impact his power and stature in the Senate?
- Should Republicans work with Democrats to create a bill that fixes what's wrong with Obamacare? What would be the repercussions?
- Does the GOP's failure to repeal Obamacare hurt their chances to pass other legislation? Will it hurt them for the 2018 midterm elections?
Yes, I do agree with John McCain's assessment of the current state of the Senate and American politics. In my opinion, I believe he saved the United States of America from a crisis. The gasps and appluading prove how important this issue was to the Senate and our country in general.
ReplyDeletePreviously, I disagreed with the new bill because of how much of a negative effect it would have on the country. To add onto that, the bill was created in secret. Like John McCain said, this is only the shell of a bill. There is nothing to support it or truly help the people who will be affected by it.
John McCain's speech truly showed what should be happening in order to make improvements. Instead of fighting, the Republicans and Democrats must come together despite their issues, and fix the bill. They may have differents points of view but they can both agree that there are too many holes in the healthcare bill. If the Senate can fix all the problems, the bill will have a chance to pass. John McCain made the right decision to go with his gut instead of what his political party would be expected to support.
different*
ReplyDeleteI personally agree with John McCain's assessment of the current state of the Senate and American politics because like Jill said he saved the U.S. from a crisis. He did because the GOP bill is very unequal and Obamacare isn't being repealed for now. In McCain's speech he mentioned how he wanted to create a new bill where there are contributions from both bills, and it's their job to serve the people. He also explains how everyone is equal and their job is to help us and serve us as equals. I believe compromise is possible but it may take a while for it to work. In politics it's hard with two different political parties and different branches of government to not only work together but also agree on something very big just as affordable healthcare in America. McCain's vote will not impact his power because senators cannot be taken out of office since they are elected by the people they represent. All in all I believe John McCain did the right thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with John McCain's assessment of the state of the Senate because the political divide between the two parties is making it hard to get things passed. This skinny repeal seems not very well thought out by republicans and was not viewed carefully by most of the Senators. Part of the issue with this is that the political parties have such as strong influence on the decisions of lawmakers that without even knowing what the appeal contained, the republican leaders expected the rest of their party to support it no matter what. I am glad that McCain and others stood against this because even though I believe something better than Obamacare can be put in place, both sides need to sit down and create a well thought out replacement, which includes making compromise and even support and encouragement from president Trump. Although the republicans hold majority in the senate, its not by many seats. Meaning that if they want to pass something they cannot purely pass legislation based on their party, bypassing the democratic system. If these lawmakers continue to fail in making compromise with the democrats not only will the get nothing done for years to come, but by the 2018 mid-term election the Republicans will see their seat majority deteriorate as they will get voted out if they continue to fail in going through the lawmaking process. As far as accomplishing compromise, I am not sure if the two sides can ever try to find common ground, but we do know it is necessary if Congress wants to get anything done to help the country.
ReplyDeleteAlong with Jill, Riley and Brandon I agree with John McCain's assessment of the Senate. I also thought it was great when McCain bluntly gave the thumbs down signal to the bill. This is not because I am against or for the bill but because of the way the Senate presented it. They gave a very vague description and were automatically expecting everyone to vote their way. In my opinion, this took the republicans' ego down a notch which is what they needed. Therefore, does this mean it will be harder for the Senate to pass other legislation? Yes, probably. It only takes one person to show that you can say no and McClain has just proven to be that one person.
ReplyDeleteAs far as compromise, I don't believe that's possible. Each side wants things done their way or no way and it would be nearly impossible to find a happy medium. With that said, I do think the Republicans and Democrats should work together but it's just not likely that it will. Even if it does, there's a good chance other issues could arouse and just cause more trouble in the end.
Overall, McClain's actions were powerful and will hopefully cause good things such as the Senate taking a closer look at the skinny repeal and make some changes along with it.
I have mixed feelings on this topic because I struggle with the fact that a senator went against his party. This isn't fair to the people who elected him to represent the party he belongs to. However, this is a unique case because of the circumstances. The bill trying to be passed called the "skinny repeal" bill simply was not prepared properly and was not presented properly. Also, to me it is very concerning that the bill would have left 15 million more people uninsured as of 2018. So in a way with this specific case, I can't say I don't agree with John McCain's decision and his assessment of the Senate. But, compromise is not possible anymore because anything the Republicans want, the Democrats will push back against. Don't get me wrong, it would be great if there was more unification among the parties, but right now in our government and the state of our parties it doesn't seem like a reality. I do agree with Melanie, with the statement that McCain's actions were powerful and hopefully will make a difference when needed with bills in the future.
ReplyDeleteObamacare must be abolished though at one point and time because it is failing and is going to implode like President Trump has stated on Twitter. So, a properly presented bill must be proposed that isn't so vague and is actually a solution to our healthcare system and to all the people of our country because everybody will need it.
While I believe ObamaCare should be repealed and replaced, McCain made the right decision by voting against the "skinny repeal". The GOP has yet to come up with a steady enough replacement, and while they are eager to destruct ObamaCare, they must first create a better plan.
ReplyDeleteWith McCain voting against his own party, Democrats are thrilled, however Republicans are in awe. McCain definitely shocked everyone on Thursday night. In his speech, McCain mentioned how he wanted both parties to created a compromise. Could this be possible? It would be challenging, especially when both sides show no end to fighting for exactly what they believe in. The Republicans have been trying to repeal ObamaCare ever since it was first introduced, and they are yet to give up, even after all the setbacks. This fight shows no signs of ending soon.
At the end of the day, the Senate must put the best interest of the American people first. Just because John McCain didn't vote in favor of his party does not mean that he agrees with ObamaCare. Instead, he feels that it's the best option for the American people at this time. Hopefully McCain's powerful message will be acknowledged by both sides, and a united healthcare plan can be created.
As for the 2018 mid-term election, if Republicans are unable to create a new plan that the American people are happy with, then they will begin to lose seats in the Senate. They need to gain the support from the people, and hear their opinions before making another bill that few know about.
I agree with John McCain's assessment of the senate because it was a largely unknown bill that, presumably, was not for the benefits of many people. Outside of a small group of 13 people, no one knew the details of the bill, meaning that not many had a chance to read it by the time they were forced to vote. While an Obamacare replacement is much needed, this was not that long-awaited solution. On a side note, I think republicans like this are getting too careless trying to sneak things past people. A bill, that we are unaware if it would have been positive of negative, was almost passed that could have done a lot of damage as a sort of health care plan. This, in my opinion, is an early sign of corruption. Anyways, a proper replacement is much needed to satisfy the needs of politicians, republican or democratic, and the people who would be using the Obamacare replacement. Unfortunately, republicans and democrats have opposite interests that make it difficult for a compromise to be achievable, but not impossible. As the article, 5 Takeaways From the Failed Senate Effort to Repeal Obamacare, states: the process matters. Even republicans, who were expected to vote for it positively no matter what, were annoyed by the fact that Mitch McConnell kept basically the entire bill under wraps. The process they used to bring up the bill was intended for use of budget matters only; not healthcare plans. The lack of public hearings or bill-drafting sessions is what prompted John McCain's disapproval of the replacement bill. I think that the extremely republican and extremely democratic desires need to be eliminated in order to satisfy the basic desires of both democrats and republicans. Democrats need to accept the profitable side of a replacement while republicans need to support the more generous accessibility of Obamacare. I agree with Riley in saying that his vote will not negatively impact his power but not just simply because he can not be removed as senator, but also because he has gained the approval of many democrats who had been agreeing with his point of view since the replacement had been started. Lastly, as I have previously stated, democrats and republicans should work together to make a proper replacement. The only repercussions I can see is both sides needing to make a sacrifice(s) in order to benefit society as a whole. After all, we don't want to be stuck back here in 3- 7 years voting on a new replacement if "Trumpcare" (Patent pending) ultimately fails for being too republican. As the article, Dems pivot to offering ObamaCare improvements, points out, ,no proper solution will be achievable if one side takes too much control.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with McCain's views on the state of the senate in American politics right now. Politicians today should get passed
ReplyDeletetheir personal views and the idea of sticking with their parties in order to work together and serve the country how they should be. While this will be difficult, as separated and split minded as the senate is today, it could happen.
I believe if the democrats and republicans did work together without personal views getting in the way they could create or fix a new health care or Obamacare. The only problem that could come of this is it would take a long time for both
sides to agree upon a solution that would better the people of America. After the GOP's failure to repeal Obamacare, i don't believe it will drastically hurt their chances to pass other legislation so long as it isn't done the way this was.
First off, I believe Obamacare should be replaced, but I have to say McCain made the right decision to go against the “skinny repeal,” even if it went against his party. But on the other hand, he was one of the Senators of the Republican party who voted it down, and he let a lot of people down. However, in order for Obamacare to be replaced, the new bill has to be structured properly and supported in order for it to work. This healthcare issue has been in debate and hated by the Republican party ever since it was introduced.
ReplyDeleteWhen the news was revealed, Republicans were devastated while Democrats were ecstatic. McCain shocked everyone with his vote, but he made the right decision. I believe that Obamacare should be replaced if and when the new bill is improved or structured well. In his speech McCain mentioned how he wanted both parties to make an agreement on the new bill. Is it possible? Yes, but it will be a challenge. Both parties have their own opinions, their own ideas, etc. Both parties have been going at each other for decades. It’s debatable whether a compromise is going to happen or not.
Now because McCain voted against his party doesn’t mean he is with or agrees with Obamacare. He made the decision that he believes is best for the country right now even if it went against the Republican party. Hopefully, in the end, both parties can unite to create a new and better plan that they can all agree on.
All in all, hopefully the new plan will be structured and ready by the 2018 mid-term election. But in order to do that, the Republicans need to hear from their peers and work together to create a plan that everyone can agree on.
First of all, I do agree with Sen. John McCain's assessment of the current state of the Senate and all recent American politics. The extreme divide between the Democrats and Republicans has led America into, as Jill said, a crisis. The intense competition between the two parties to get their bills and suggestions passed has only widened the divide and caused chaos in our government system. If a member of the Republican party disagrees with the approach of their party, then they are viewed as a “traitor” to their own party, and a “savior” to the Democratic party. This goes for Democrats who agree with some Republican views as well. Our system is so focused on what party the senator is from, and how they will be voting, rather than the actual opinions and ideas of the individual senators. This is only making it harder for bills to get passed. When John McCain gave a thumbs down to the “skinny repeal”, the Democrats cheered and the Republicans gasped in surprise. The Republicans had expected that he would vote yes, just because of his entire political stance. They never really took the time to hear out his opinion before the vote. When he was asked about it by reporters before the vote on Friday, he replied with, “ Watch the show.” Democrats also cheered because they thought they had swayed McCain’s opinion to their side, when he had just gone with what he believed the whole time. The Senators should not be deciding who is on who’s side, and whose vote they can attempt to change. They should be focused on getting their points across and then voting with their honest opinion, in order to make a decision that will benefit the United States and all its citizens. When John McCain gave his speech, he showed all of America the flaws in our system and how we need to actually operate our government in order to make changes and improvements. Rather than pick fights with each other, the two parties need to work together to decide which bills should be passed and which should not. This compromise could be the start of fixing our government for the better, and restoring order to all of Congress. McCain’s vote has most likely impacted his power and stature in some way. The Republicans, will probably lose some trust in him, and monitor his opinions and votes more closely. Democrats however ,may try to convince him to see their side. Overall, John McCain is a very important political figure in and out of the Senate. What he said in his speech was brave and honest. He spoke what he believed is the truth about our government, rather what the Republican party would want him to say. As for the physical bill, healthcare is too big of an issue to leave as it is. Both parties of the Senate need to work together to improve the bill, and make it reasonable for everyone. Although it is likely that this will not happen in the Senate’s current state, some discussion should occur between Republicans and Democrats anyway. McCain’s speech has said something that many people all across the country have wanted to say for a long time. It should not be ignored. Some repercussions however might be that other issues that have been in debate could be brought back up to create disorder and chaos, while compromises are taking place. So, as good as a compromise sounds, it could cause even more problems than it started. It could even lead to issues during the 2018 midterm elections. The failure of the plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, can hurt the Senate’s ability to pass other important legislations. It could cause even more chaos to ensue and could potentially alter our government for the worse. There are many ups and downs to our government system. John McCain’s speech identifies these ups and downs, addresses what needs to be done to fix the problems, restore order, and better the United States as a whole, instead of two separate parties.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with John McCain’s assessment with the current state of the the Senate. I applaud him for going against his party and for what I believe saving America from a huge mistake. He believes that the Senate has a whole have a much greater purpose than to try to one up the other party, but to work together debate different ideas until one his chosen for the best of the American people.
ReplyDeleteIt’s hard to believe that a compromise can be found between both parties, however, it’s not impossible. I do believe that senators would have to stop looking at each other as a democrat or republican and as enemies but more as teammates working for the greater good. John McCain said that they are not the President’s subordinate but as his equal. In order for them to compromise they need to be looking out for the greater good of the Americans citizens of all social classes not just for the rich and not just their party. If more people in the Senate took on John McCain’s thinking I think they can reach a compromise that benefits both parties and the people of America.
I think McCain’s vote will influence more people in the Senate to vote outside of their party and rather vote for what they think is right. However, you will also get other people in the Senate who will look down on the people who will not vote with their party.
In the best interest of the American people I believe the Republicans and Democrats must work together to create the best, most affordable, and beneficial for all people of America. I do not think it will be a very easy task considering the two parties have very differing views. It will also be very controversial because people from both parties may not support the two parties working together.
I think the republican party’s failure to create a new healthcare bill that will make the people happy will affect the 2018 midterm elections harshly. I think less people are likely to vote for someone who isn’t getting their job done.
I strongly agree with John McCain’s assessment of the current state of the Senate and American politics because with his actions he helped the United States mess/crisis. In his speech, he explained how a new bill can make a good change for the citizens in U.S. But also, John McCain wants to bring equality and to solve issues the smart way by benefiting everyone. Republicans should work with Democrats to create a bill that fixes what is wrong with Obamacare because it can help the U.S citizen. By the both parties I believe us can make a positive change in the health care because everyone needs to get benefited and Obamacare has its problems so why not become united and try to figure out a good solution. But the repercussions/effect/results could take long for both parties to agree and of course this will lead to dramatic arguments. McCain’s vote will not impact his power because he was elected and chosen by the people so it lead for him to express his feelings about the topic. So, in conclusion I believe John McCain speech and actions were well done.
ReplyDeleteIn agreement with the comments above, I also believe that John McCain’s portrayal of the United States Senate in his return speech was an accurate one. McCain describes the Senate as not what it once was or what it was intended to be. In saying that the United States Senate was envisioned by the framers to be “the more deliberative, careful body that operates at a greater distance than the other body from the public passions of the hour,” McCain recognizes that its members should be knowledgeable about the issues they discuss and only introduce legislation that has been given a lot of thought. By distancing his position and those of other members in the Senate from the “public passions of the hour,” McCain highlights the expectation for American Senators to be thoughtful in their opinions and should not engage in political fighting. Instead, working alongside one another is more beneficial.
ReplyDeleteToday’s Senate and its members stray far from these expectations and even engage in behavior that is the exact opposite of what they should be doing. In my opinion, members of both parties are more interested in defending their party wholeheartedly (and almost blindly) rather than in creating strong, bipartisan reform.
The thirteen Republicans who authored and introduced the healthcare bill (including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and former presidential candidate Ted Cruz) proved that a completely divided Senate lacking any teamwork simply does not work. These Senators and their bill suffered a great loss when McCain cast his shocking vote against it, and likely realized that excluding congressmen and women from the lawmaking process on such an important issue is ineffective. Two Republican Senators, Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Susan Collins (ME) also opposed this bill. Having not seen it’s full form until a few hours prior to the vote, the women banded together and expressed their opinions against it in this interview with CNN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Pji2nLlso while the following video by Vox does a great job in explaining the problem with the bill written by 13 male Senators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vly2iHFtOTE
Conservative lawmakers are not the only ones struggling to pass legislation. Republicans in Congress have introduced several bills and the President has made several recommendations for this process. However, Democrats have failed to do the same and have instead took the approach of fighting everything introduced by their opponents. It makes sense that Democrats would not be interested in voting for anything created by Republicans (especially on the issue of healthcare, where they largely differ.) This does not mean, though, that Democrats should ignore the efforts of other Congressmen and women to change Obamacare. Instead of playing this form of “defensive politics,” Democrats should suggest their own amendments to the Affordable Care Act, or at the very least create some sort of plan for their constituents to support.
McCain’s vote against the Better Care Act could very well spark a much-needed change in the behavior of United States Senators. His vote should open the eyes of prominent Republicans like Mitch McConnell, who previously believed they could rely on the votes of all members of their party by default. Of course, both parties are at fault. As mentioned earlier, Democrats’ use of defensive politics are no longer valid as Republicans become more and more interested in repealing and replacing (or at least changing) the Affordable Care Act. Filibustering and unifying against these bills is no longer enough, and Democrats should formulate plans to coincide with their disagreement against Republicans.
The best way to pass a law changing healthcare in the United States is to create a bipartisan system in which members of the Senate are willing to talk to one another about this issue. The American public is split relatively evenly by party, and legislation with input from both sides of the aisle is, therefore, bound to be much more successful in the minds of Americans.
Even though he went against his party and probably confused many other people in his party, Senator John McCain made the right decision in going against the "skinny repeal". He is simply doing what is best for the American people. In his speech he outlined the benefits of the new "skinny repeal" but also showed how it would not help the American people. I believe that there can be compromise between the two parties, however it will not happen overnight and will most likely take some time before the two parties can actually work together to fix something. I do not believe them that both parties will be able to work together and fix the Affordable Care Act.
ReplyDeleteBecause McCain went against his party he may not be trusted by other members, therefore his power and position in the senate may not be as it was.
I do agree with John McCain’s assessment of the current state of the Senate and American politics. In recent years it has been very hard for any legislation to be passed due to the polarization of American politics. Like McCain said, Senators need to focus more on a bipartisan approach to solving America’s problems rather than strictly following their party. The split between parties in the Senate, as well as the rest of the country, has done nothing to help the well-being of the country. Nothing has gotten done, because both parties are too focused on winning and beating the other party rather than focusing on what is right for the American people. It cannot hurt for both parties to work together to create solutions, it is only hurting the country when they work apart. It is the responsibility of the Senate to help the country thrive, so focusing on what is right for the people rather than one’s personal interests will help to do so. The “skinny repeal” was poorly prepared, so McCain’s vote shows other politicians that it is acceptable to vote against your party when you know a bill is going to damage the lives of the many Americans they are representing.
ReplyDeleteMcCain voting against the “skinny repeal” shows how politicians do not have to stick to the views of their party for the government to work. Therefore, I believe that compromise between Republicans and Democrats is possible in the future. I feel that there are other politicians who strive for compromise like McCain does, but are too afraid to defy their party under fear of being shamed or ridiculed. When parties are unified against each other nothing will get done, as said before. When the ACA was being created Republicans were not involved in much of the process, meaning their views are not represented in the bill. This is part of the reason why most Republicans oppose the ACA. Now, Republicans are doing the same exact thing to Democrats, which is quite hypocritical. Once both parties realize that they can avoid strong polarization and prevent disputes between parties by creating compromises, I feel that they will be more inclined to work together.
Republicans and Democrats should work together to fix what is wrong with the ACA. Both Republicans and Democrats can agree on the fact that the ACA is not perfect. Because of this, they should work together to create a bipartisan bill that will account for all or most of what the American people wish for in their healthcare. However, this could be a difficult process because some politicians from both parties are very stuck in their ways and are focused on an agenda that would only benefit their party. Focusing on “winning” against the other party rather than what is right for the people could prevent a compromise between the parties. Reliable healthcare is a very important aspect in the lives of American citizens, so both parties need to put aside their personal interests and strict dedications to their parties to find a solution that is best for the American people.