Our distinguished senator is speaking out on healthcare. He was one of the 13 republican senators that drafted the current senatorial version of healthcare reform in complete isolation from their colleagues and "the American people". He is speaking out, not in a public forum, town hall style meeting, but through carefully staged presentations by him or one way written correspondence that only deals with partisan talking points. He won't answer any direct questions or concerns of his constituents. . . you know, the people that elected him and the people he's supposed to represent.

Here is one example of his "defense" of the secretive plan that even his own party can't muster enough votes to pass: Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said Wednesday in a televised meeting with constituents that most Republican lawmakers didn’t expect President Trump to win the election, and therefore were unprepared to replace Obamacare.

“Look, I didn’t expect Donald Trump to win. I think most of my colleagues didn’t, so we didn’t expect to be in this situation,” Toomey said in response to a question about why the long-promised GOP health care bill has not been passed.

Toomey, who served on the 13-member working group tasked with drafting the Senate health care legislation, said June 27 that the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act “is not perfect, but it is a positive step toward repairing the damages caused by Obamacare and putting Medicaid on a sustainable fiscal path.”

The second-term senator has faced criticism from his constituents for his support of the health care bill.

“Given how difficult it is to get to a consensus, it was hard to force that until there was a need to,” said Toomey, who admitted that a health care bill is still several weeks away.

So, Toomey seems confused and perplexed about what to do next to fortify healthcare for all citizens. Here is part of his response to me when I wrote him a letter voicing my concerns with the healthcare legislative mess caused by our federal house and senate elected officials. One thing I specifically stated was that if they couldn't construct an acceptable new healthcare plan, why don't they just make the healthcare plan they all enjoy available to all citizens. He refuses to address this, or just ignores suggestions (even though he asks for them), or he just wants you to accept the plan that he and 12 other senators drafted with the help of lobbyists from insurance companies, big pharma, and for profit hospitals . . . curiously, Toomey is the recipient of over $350,000 annually from these groups to help with his re-election.

Here is part of his letter "answering" my concerns:

"The draft bill is now publicly available, and all health care experts, patients, medical professionals, employers, and individual constituents are welcome to provide feedback. I am open to the ideas of anyone who hopes to improve the health care system. You should also know that should the legislation be brought to the floor of the full Senate, it will be subject to an open and unlimited amendment process, giving every Senator the chance to suggest changes before final passage."

So, he's basically saying the bill is what it is, nothing's perfect, it will be subject to amendments, and send him your suggestions (which, from my experiences with Toomey, he doesn't read and doesn't even consider).

So, that's my senator's position on healthcare -- Obamacare sucks, we (the republicans) have had several years to develop a plan to improve healthcare in the U.S. and have pretty much been totally unable to do so on their own, explaining to their constituents that developing healthcare for all Americans is a "very difficult task and an extremely complex task" (especially when you attempt to do so without any hint of bipartisan cooperation), and that they just may have to throw up their hands in desperation, blame the democrats, and move on to restructuring income tax, or figuring out how to finance much needed infrastructure projects without increasing the federal debt.

Those should be easier campaign promises to fulfill.

What a bunch of morons we have in our legislative branch of government.

Last edited by Rongone (7/08/2017 8:37 am)