There are times when the Senate and reality seem set on a collision course. Clearly the expressed desire of Republicans in the Senate to repeal ObamaCare is now colliding with the reality that some of them believed their actions would not have to meet their rhetoric.
The Republicans, who invariably bemoan their inability to get out their message, actually sustained a seven-year communications campaign to indict and politically prosecute ObamaCare and all its many flaws. It was fertile ground because the American electorate continues to believe that Washington is too big and does too much, even if they sometimes fall prey to arguments that appeal to the desire to help those who are struggling.
Republicans did such a masterful job of convincing Americans they were serious about repeal that they had the country and their supporters convinced it was their top priority. Perhaps the more cynical operatives in the nation’s capital believed ObamaCare, once offered, would never be rescinded, but those in real America were convinced that GOP majorities in tandem with a new president would get it done.
The details of how to approach ObamaCare repeal have always been a point of contention among GOP lawmakers and policy experts, but as we near an important vote in the Senate it seems there is some reason for hope. The senators from Kentucky, Dr. Rand Paul and Leader McConnell, actually agreed that the best course of action was to vote on repeal of ObamaCare with a sunset put on the entire monstrosity. However, McConnell was willing to play ball with Speaker Ryan and the White House and push for a detailed bill that included repeal and a GOP replacement.
{mosads}Sens. Paul, Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other conservatives who strongly support repeal have been honest and clear to their constituents that they will do anything in their power to scrap Obama’s only major legislative accomplishment. However, the road to repeal is still somewhat unclear as the GOP conference continues to grapple with the task of securing 50 votes.
I am hopeful that conservatives in the Senate will continue to play a constructive role in helping to craft a piece of legislation that they and activists can support.
The consequences for breaking the promise of ObamaCare repeal will be felt into 2018 throughout the primaries and leading up to the midterms in next November. Any GOP senator who thinks repealing ObamaCare now is not the right way to go is wrong and promising to do so and breaking that promise will be a disaster for the credibility of the party going forward.
The healthcare crisis in America cannot continue much longer. Millions of working families sit at home struggling to deal with the realities of rising premiums and dwindling options for coverage. Next year, Marylanders, Iowans, and New Yorkers face potential rate increases of 59 percent, 43 percent, and 17 percent respectively. At the start of this year, only 4 of the 24 ObamaCare co-ops were still active as many feared and predicted. The insurance market is experiencing new problems related to ObamaCare every day. The time to act on repeal is now.
The Republicans in the Senate are now poised to move the ball forward to help Americans who want a more free-market, choice-oriented healthcare system. But in order to help those struggling as a consequence of ObamaCare, GOP members of the Senate must do their job, repeal the failed ObamaCare law, and deliver on the promise that gave them the majority in the first place.
Matt Schlapp is chairman of the American Conservative Union and CPAC. He was the White House political director to former President George W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @mschlapp.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.