Congressman Paul Ryan penned an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal forging a path to “ending this stalemate.” What is amazing about this op-ed is what it fails to mention. Amidst the garrulous piece on Medicare reform, Social Security, and tax policy, there is not one word about the very impetus for this so-called stalemate – Obamacare.
Ryan rightfully notes that this is “our moment to get a down payment on the debt and boost the economy. But we have to act now.”
There is nothing that affects the debt and economy more than the consummation of a new entitlement into our welfare state. What better way to jump-start the economy than by pre-empting the worst piece of legislation from taking effect?
This op-ed is a confirmation of our worst fears. Over the past few days, many in GOP leadership have been privately and publicly shifting the focus of this battle from Obamacare to a grand bargain over tax policy and entitlement reform in the abstract. This is the road to cave city. It is simply absurd to suggest that we ignore Obamacare yet fight on other things for a number of reasons:
1) Social Security has been around since the ‘30s; Medicare has been around since the ‘60s; the tax system has been around for decades. We’re not getting rid of any of this any time soon. We are left with just a few ideas to tweak these programs. That opportunity is not going away any time soon. Obamacare, on the other hand, is just taking root now. Why would we ignore the most imminent threat for a long-term policy problem?
2) Social Security and Medicare are very popular, and people are leery of any changes, even ones that we think are positive. So we are going to ditch the fight over Obamacare, which is extremely unpopular, to fight for Medicare reform? Really, Paul Ryan? And they think we are politically stupid?
3) How in the world are we going to implement Medicare premium support on top of a healthcare system built on Obamacare? If you are a Republican who believes the fight against Obamacare is lost, which is presumably the view of Paul Ryan, then stop deluding yourself into thinking we will implement Medicare reform.
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