One of the hallmarks of the Obama presidency was the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Popularly referred to as Obamacare, this act sought to deliver health insurance to millions of Americans (“Why is Obamacare”, 2017). When this act came into force, many Americans who previously lacked health insurance gained coverage. The Trump administration and the Republican Party have vowed to undo Obama’s policies (Lee, 2017). Recently, the house presented a bill in the House of Representatives. This bill was approved and is set to be discussed in the Senate. If it is passed, the bill will repeal Obamacare. The debate over Obamacare underscores the divisive nature of American politics. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party are sharply divided over how healthcare should be administered in the country. In this essay, the political divisions surrounding healthcare in the United States are examined.
For years, the American people have been evenly divided over most political issues. There is no consensus on such issues as gun ownership, same-sex marriage and abortion. The delivery of healthcare to the American people is another issue on which the American people have been unable to agree. On one hand, there is the Democratic Party that seeks to deliver health insurance to all Americans. This party is mostly concerned about access. Through Obamacare, the party managed to deliver health insurance to many Americans (“Why is Obamacare”, 2017). This policy also required providers health insurance to refrain from turning away with existing conditions. Obamacare also allowed children to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until they attained the age of 26 (“Why is Obamacare”, 2017). Obamacare clearly delivered gains for the American people. On the other hand, there is the Republican Party which is committed to repealing and replacing Obamacare. As already mentioned, the party sponsored a bill which was approved by the House of Representatives. The main force that is inspiring the Republican Party in its quest to replace Obamacare is the rising cost of health insurance. While it has delivered many benefits, Obamacare has resulted in an increase in premiums (Griggs, Yourish & Sanger-Katz, 2017). It has forced Americans to dig deeper into their pockets. Given that the Republican Party has a majority in the Senate, it is likely that the bill approved by the House of Representatives will pass. If this happens, it will mark the end of Obamacare and the beginning of a new healthcare dispensation.
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It has been noted that the American people are deeply divided. To understand how deep these divisions run, it is necessary to examine some of the tactics being employed by politicians. The Republican Party had earlier attempted to introduce the bill that would repeal Obamacare. The party learnt that it lacked support for the bill and it was forced to withdraw it (Collinson et al., 2017). All the members of the Democratic Party opposed the bill. They argued that the bill would cause millions of Americans to lose coverage. The bill also faced opposition from some members of the Republican Party. The fact that some Republicans have opposed the bill is clear indication that the bill is wanting and must be revised. Recently, Paul Ryan announced that the Republican Party would employ the nuclear option to push the bill through (Haberkorn & Kim, 2017). Essentially, this option will see the Party circumvent traditions and norms that have long been practiced in the Senate. The fact that the Republican Party is considering resorting to this option highlights the sharp divisions among American leaders. The Republican Party understands that the nation is so divided that the bill cannot be passed through dialogue and negotiations. The Democrats are adamant and the Republicans refuse to relent. Even before the Republicans took the reins of government, there was strong opposition to Obamacare. For instance, in 2010, members of the Republican Party appealed to the courts to intervene and even refused to discuss a bill that would release funding for government programs (“Why is Obamacare”, 2017). The showdown in the Senate and the tactics employed by politicians from the Republican Party allow one to understand just how deeply divided the nation is.
It is common practice for politicians in the United States to resort to lies and deceit. They do this with the aim of gaining support for their positions. The lies perpetrated by politicians further indicate that Americans are deeply divided and that leaders from different political parties are simply unable to reach consensus. One of the arguments that politicians from the Republican Party have raised in their opposition to Obamacare is that this policy adversely affects the American economy. They argue that the policy kills jobs (“Why is Obamacare”, 2017). An examination of employment data reveals that this is untrue. Since Obamacare came into force, the health industry has created more jobs. The number of jobs in the industry has risen by an impressive 9% (“Why is Obamacare”, 2017). While it may be the case that Obamacare is not responsible for this job increase, the increase clearly indicates that the policy has not killed jobs. Given the heated political debates, it can be argued that there is no end in sight to the political divisions. If anything, the nation should brace for bitter arguments and higher political temperatures.
In conclusion, most Americans desire stability and unity. These Americans must feel disappointed by the failure by the ruling elite to promote unity and consensus building. The divisions among leaders have caused the rifts among Americans to widen. Obamacare has been the subject of intense arguments by politicians and regular Americans. The Democratic Party would like to see the policy remain in place. On the other hand, the Republican Party is keen on replacing the bill. It is advised that the leaders from the two parties should embrace dialogue and be driven by the desire to serve the American people.
References
Collinson, S., Bash, D., Mattingly, P. & Walsh, D. (2017). House Republicans Pull Health Care Bill. Retrieved 16th May 2017 from http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/24/politics/house-health-care-vote/
Griggs, T., Yourish, K. & Sanger-Katz, M. (2017). How Many People are Affected by
Obamacare Premium Increases? (Hint, it’s Fewer than you think). Retrieved 16th
May 2017 from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/09/us/politics/who-is-really-affected-by-rising-obamacare-premiums.html?_r=0
Haberkorn, J. & Kim, S. M. (2017). Cruz, Paul want to go ‘Nuclear’ on Obamacare Repeal.
Retrieved 16th May 2017 from http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/16/obamacare-cruz-paul-repeal-238411
Lee, M. J. (2017). House Republicans Pass Bill to Replace and Repeal Obamacare. Retrieved
16th May 2017 from http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/04/politics/health-care-vote/
Why is Obamacare so Controversial? (2017). Retrieved 16th May 2017 from
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-24370967
