Recently, it has become public knowledge that a number of the House GOP have not quite read through the entire new American Health Care Act bill that was passed. Now, I know that being a Congressman is a lot of work.. I get that. I’ve watched like seven episodes of House of Cards (it’s insane, I recommend it), and I got an A in Government class in high school. I’m basically an expert.
The thing I’m having trouble grasping the concept of is this: if each Congressman and his respective staff only read aspects of the bill, who here has the full, comprehensive understanding of the bill? If I read a single chapter of the Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe and then have people tell me parts of the rest of the story, I cannot say that I’ve read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, right?
It reminds me of those class projects when each person is responsible for learning a chapter or two of the material and then “teaching the class”. It’s a great concept in theory, but, let’s be real– no one really learns anything that’s not a part of their chapter.
This situation ended up not unlike when only two people in the class did the reading, and everyone is just super enthusiastic to overcompensate for the bullshitting their having to do to make up the lost knowledge. The biggest laugh here is still that they claimed the Democratic party didn’t read the Obamacare bill thoroughly before passing it. The irony of the inconsistency is not lost on me.
The problem with this frustrating situation is more than politicians just not reading all aspects of a bill. Sure, that’s bad, but also bills are often kind of convoluted, lengthy, etc. That’s fine. The problem arises from the fact that this is a bill that is very impactful for almost everyone in this country. Some more so than others, yes, but everyone nonetheless. So, of course, being a Millennial I had to google something (that’s what research is now, Ma). So I googled: “How does ahca affect me”. What I found was… interesting.
Once again, being a woman is a liability. Well, it’s always been a bit of a liability, but now it’s a real pre-existing condition. Along with literally anything you can think of. Anything but a common cold or the flu, or like, polio? Boom, pre-existing condition, sorry.
What I don’t understand is how a compilation so inclusive could get passed. A stroke is a pre-existing condition. If I know anything about a stroke is that it just kind of happens. Mental disorders are pre-existing conditions, as well as menstrual irregularities. Having a slightly long period can leave you uninsured now.
Would things be different if the Congressmen had all read the bill thoroughly and metacognated and analyzed it like we’re always taught to do in school? I don’t quite know what to say. But, there are things we can do: contact your local representatives, and your local senator. Be proactive instead of reactive. Invest time now so that we have more coverage for our futures.
Here’s a link to a petition you can sign to get the AHCA repealed. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/898/572/191/oppose-paul-ryans-obamacare-repeal-and-replace-bill/