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by Rod D. Martin
March 24, 2017
My quick takes on Ryan’s health care flop today.
1. As I’ve said repeatedly, the Republicans should have passed a one-sentence repeal bill on or about January 21, sunsetting Obamacare at some arbitrary point in the future (my preference would be October 1 “or sooner”). This would have been very difficult for the RINOs to oppose, would have given plenty of time for dealmaking, and above all would have kept Republicans’ longstanding and most central promise.
2. Having failed to do that (almost certainly Ryan’s fault, not the White House’s), Republicans got forced into this awkward three-stage deal. They might have had to do that anyway due to procedural hurdles in the Senate, but that just begs the question: McConnell should invoke the nuclear option on all legislation whatsoever, since we absolutely know we’re going to do it on Gorsuch, and the Democrats will do it the very next time they’re in the majority even if we don’t. That would have solved the problem, and given the right carrots and sticks, I believe McConnell could have pulled it off (and still can). It would have been tricky and may be trickier now (thanks to some of our RINOs like McCain), but it’s not impossible.
3. Honestly, the Freedom Caucus probably just screwed up. But if you saw the Open Letter I posted yesterday (and which I signed, along with the heads of assorted groups like Club for Growth and Heritage), you know that I agree with them in principle: we need to fight for a bill that includes interstate insurance, HSA enhancement and full repeal of the Obamacare insurance regulations and taxes. It just isn’t as obvious that all of that had to be in this particular bill.
4. Finally, I think the President was committed to all of those things. Why? Because he campaigned on them, and when he produced his budget proposal, his people carefully implemented every single promise he made last year. By contrast, the White House trusted Ryan to come up with the health care legislation — since already they’d done it repeatedly, and since that seemed a sensible division of labor — and Ryan proceeded to pre-concede tons of points (rather than demand what we need and compromise where we must), ending up with an unpassable bill.
Idiot.
Anyway, Trump threatened to let Obamacare stay on the books if these guys didn’t get their act together. I expect that’s a meaningful but not unbreakable bargaining position.
This isn’t over.
ONE FINAL NOTE: While I wanted and worked for (and will continue to work for) a better bill (as the Open Letter below makes plain), I just want to make clear what was in the Ryan bill. A lot of people are claiming it’s terrible, and it’s certainly not what I wanted. But consider what it actually achieves:
$1 trillion in both tax and spending cuts
Individual mandate abolished
EHB (“Essential Health Benefits”) mandates removed
50+ employee mandate removed
30+ hours/week mandate removed
More flexibility for the states
Work requirement for Medicaid
Planned Parenthood defunded
Oh, and that’s just Phase I, with Phases II and III coming behind, for procedural reasons only lawyers and legislators could love.
As I said, I agree with them, and I would have done all of this differently, but the Freedom Caucus probably just screwed up.
Open Letter From Conservative Leaders Supporting Necessary Principles to Repeal Obamacare
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
