Congress needs to keep working, into the holidays if necessary, to keep health insurance costs from skyrocketing

After you read this, I hope you will share it. 

Hopefully somebody close to our “leaders” will see it and pass it on to them.

On Dec. 11, the United States Senate voted down two proposals to “fix” the Affordable Care Act Subsidy issue. Neither proposal got the 60 votes needed to move the process forward.

If a viable solution can’t be found before the end of the year, insurance rates for those previously covered will go through the ceiling. Most may not be able to afford coverage, going without. That will have, not just a ripple effect, but a huge wave effect on ALL medical insurance, including yours, because hospitals will have to raise costs to cover for those who can’t pay. It’s an ugly situation.

It's obvious, Trump doesn’t want a solution. He doesn’t care. By ending the subsidy, it frees up more money for himself and his billionaire buddies.

If Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sen. Mike Rounds, and Congressman Dusty Johnson don’t find a viable solution to the Affordable Care Act subsidies/credits issue I suggest they don’t “Come Home for Christmas.”

Folks back here are not going to be happy. In fact, millions of people all over the country are not going to be happy. It will not be a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” for them and us.

I wish I could order this: You need to stay in Washington until you have a viable, acceptable solution. Stay in session day and night. Including Christmas Eve AND Day.

The fact you can’t even agree on any temporary extension says to those of us back home, you don’t want a solution. You want the stress, chaos and mayhem no fix creates. You want people to suffer.

You have had MONTHS, make that YEARS, to deal with the Affordable Care Act. You haven’t ACTED.

You’ve complained, made promises to us, and yet NOTHING has happened.

For many this will be their breaking point. Expect to be yelled at. You will deserve it.

Your broken promises and lack of action are beyond disappointing.

John, Mike, and Dusty, DO your job. Don’t come home until you do.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Rick Knobe is a former mayor of Sioux Falls and a longtime radio talk show host who is now retired but remains active and involved in his community and state as an independent political observer and commentator. His columns appear regularly on The South Dakota Standard.

Photo:  public domain, wikimedia commons

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