Letter to the Editor – The Real Lesson of Obamacare
When Congress passed Obamacare in 2010, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told us we had to “pass it to find out what’s in it.” And that has certainly proven true. We did have to pass the bill to realize how unaffordable and how unworkable the entire law is. Obamacare is so unworkable, in fact, that the Obama Administration is now delaying some of the law’s major provisions, including the employer mandate. Congress, unfortunately, rarely learns from its mistakes and is determined to go down the same failed path of Obamacare, but this time with immigration “reform.” The Senate’s Gang of 8 amnesty bill is just as flawed and just as complicated as Obamacare. Some of the bill’s most serious flaws include:
- Its cost: The bill will cost American taxpayers trillions of dollars and will lower American workers’ wages over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office;
- Its impact on entitlements: The bill fails to close the loopholes that allow legal immigrants (and their dependents) as well as illegal immigrants to access the myriad tax credits, welfare programs and other public assistance programs (despite requirements under the Welfare Reform Act of 1996);
- Its total lack of border security: The Senate bill fails to secure the border and actually exacerbates existing weaknesses in our national security. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are opposed to the bill for that reason.
- Its impact on state and local budgets: The bill will impose significant burdens on state and local governments that will bear the burden of delivering certain legally required benefits, including in our local schools.
Obamacare should have taught us the dangers of passing sweeping “comprehensive” legislation. Congress should not pass legislation that is written by special interests and opposed by the American public. In addition, Congress should not pass legislation that is too large and complex for anyone to read and comprehend. Finally, Congress should take its legislative responsibilities and Constitutional duties seriously and not hand over significant policy-making decision and discretion to unelected bureaucrats without any real oversight or accountability.
It’s time for us to let (insert name of your U.S. House Representative) that the Senate bill should be completely discarded. Speaker Boehner would do well to learn the lesson of Obamacare and not go to conference with the Senate’s gigantic amnesty bill; nothing good could ever come out of negotiating with the Senate on that amnesty bill.