Senate Republicans’ plan to use tax bill to end Obamacare mandate

“Obamacare in tax bill,” Nov. 15 news story.

Despite GOP efforts to kill Obamacare, 1.5 million people have signed up in the first 11 days of open enrollment. Yet the GOP and the White House continue to try to weaken the health care law they could not repeal by eliminating subsidies and now embedding removal of the mandate in the tax bill. The GOP refuses to pursue a bipartisan program to reduce the cost of health care in the current law that is widely popular and is intent on increasing costs that will take health insurance away from the people who need it most. And for what? To reduce the massive deficit increase of a fatally flawed tax bill that will increase taxes for many middle-class families in already high-tax states, including Colorado, and will not fulfill the fantasy of a surge in economic growth. And the GOP calls this governing? Roll on, November 2018. ●●●

I just read that Senate Republicans are inserting language in the “tax overhaul” bill that will eliminate the individual mandate for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

So now the bill can achieve two horrible outcomes in one sweep: Reduce the number of Americans with health insurance and greatly exacerbate the problem of wealth inequality in our country!

If Sen. Cory Gardner supports these two goals, I’m sure he will support the Senate bill. And I expect no less, since he has made it clear that his aim is to please his fat-cat Republican donors — the broader public interest be damned.