Hill’s words deceive

In response to French Hill’s “Truth about my votes” letter, many of Hill’s “truths” are cloaked in deceit.

Examples: “The AHCA, which we passed … with my vote, protected health insurance coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.” Yes, it did, but Mr. Hill fails to tell you the AHCA would have raised their rates so high they could not have afforded the coverage.

“This bill would now be law if it hadn’t failed the Senate by one vote.” True, and we should all thank the Lord that it failed.

“Obamacare [ACA] has driven up the cost of health care and … health insurance premiums …”. According to a Reuters article dated October 2016 and citing Kaiser Family Foundation data, while costs/premiums did rise, the number of uninsured dropped and, based on pre-ACA increases, the premium increases were lower than they would have been without the ACA. In two pre-ACA five-year periods the rate increases were: 2001-2006, 63 percent; and 2006-2011, 31 percent. In the five years after the ACA (20112016) the increases were only 20 percent despite Republican efforts to repeal the ACA and replace it with … well, they had no replacement plan.

This reminds me of a recent Facebook post where a Republican lady posted “facts” that fact-checked totally false. When she was challenged, her response was simply, “I really don’t care about the truth.” Maybe the Republican Party should adopt this as its new motto: “Vote Republican: We Don’t Care About the Truth.” CHARLES MARTIN

East End