Accompanying the Jan. 13 story, “Obama derides ‘political hot air,'” there was a Local Angle. What caught my attention was the complete hypocrisy presented by the Republican from Camas, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. Her Facebook post proves my point.
In response to the president’s State of the Union address, Herrera Beutler proceeded to say, “Folks are still paying too much for health care, especially for those hardworking families who most needed relief from rising costs.” Really? This coming from someone who has voted numerous times to repeal the Affordable Care Act?
Yes, this legislation was and is not perfect. But it was a start. It provides coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, makes insurance affordable to those who could not afford it, and stopped insurance companies from wrecking working families financially when faced with life-threatening illness, which is the No. 1 cause of bankruptcies in the United States. It also helped those younger than 26 to have access to health care.
Now, I would give Herrera Beutler and her party credit if they would come up with an alternative plan to the ACA. They have not, except to say this is horrible and must be repealed. That is not an alternative. It is the party mantra as they do all they can to undermine a president who has taken this country from the brink of financial ruin and put it on a prosperous path.
