DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz appeared on MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd on Tuesday morning and could not tell Todd what issues related to the Affordable Care Act could be fixed right now via legislation.
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: …and they’re going to see Democrats who helped make that possible and want to address any problems as they might arise. That’s the process.
TODD: Well let me ask you about that. The addressing of the problems. Give me a bill right now that you would introduce to address a problem.
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, there’s no specific bill, actually, right now that I would…
TODD: Is it because there’s no legislative problem that needs to be fixed?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I think they’re going to be issues that arise around the margins if we just have a chance to sit down with Republicans like we’ve done with hundreds of bills through years of our history. We could hammer out problems that arise…
TODD: You don’t have one that’s on your radar screen?
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: That comes to mind immediately? No–nothing glaring. I’m not saying there aren’t problems, but there’s always going to be ticks in a law that arise and what we should be doing is sitting down and working those out.
Five Democrats in the Senate whose seats are in danger have already offered proposals to “fix” the current Affordable Care Act. According to The Washington Post:
Among the many measures are ones that would add a cheaper level of plans
to the program’s offerings; provide additional funding and
opportunities to establish insurance co-ops; allow coverage plans to be
offered regionally and across state lines; streamline reporting requirements for employers; making providing coverage optional for businesses with up to 100 employees;
provide additional tax credits for small businesses; prevent family
members working at same company from having their hours or pay reduced
because of the employer mandate; make it easier people to enroll through
web brokers and directly with insurers as well as through
HealthCare.gov; and enhance brokers’ and insurance agents’ ability to
enroll consumers.
Wasserman Schultz now says Democrats want to sit down with Republicans and find solutions to whatever problems “arise” with the Democratic health care law. However, the law itself was created by only Democrats and when Republicans attempted to attach amendments or during the debate of the bill, the GOP was essentially shut out by then House Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Four years later, after the momentary standing ovation and cheering of the bill’s passage, the Democrats are stuck with a political albatross. The passage of the ACA lost Democrats the House in 2010 and may lose them the Senate this year.
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