Dear Fred,
Knock it off.
Let go of this irrational desire to dismantle the Affordable Care Act through unending legislative maneuvers. And, stop heeling to the extremes of the Republican Party.
The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is the law of the land. Even with its flaws, it is the law. It’s been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, and last fall the American people had the opportunity to vote out its architect, President Barack Obama, and yet he won re-election by a wide margin.
Your obsession, the Republican party’s obsession, with attempting to dismantle the law has now resulted in a government shut down, because you and 227 other representatives voted in favor of a plan tying government spending to a one-year delay in the ACA's mandate requiring Americans to purchase health insurance.
In August, during a live chat on MLive.com, you wrote in response to a reader's question about a potential government shutdown over the Affordable Care Act: "I know some of my colleagues have suggested that they will not support [a Continuing Resolution] unless the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is defunded. I think this would be a lousy idea and certainly harm the most vulnerable."
It was a lousy idea in August, and it was still a lousy idea a few days ago. And, yet, you decided to go along with it. Saying Tuesday, just hours after the shutdown, "The Affordable Care Act is not ready for primetime, but shutting down the federal government is not a solution" does nothing to ease the frustration of voters.
If shutting down the government is not the solution, then don’t vote for a measure that results in that. The American public is now being made to pay the unreasonable price of reduced services — or no services — for this partisanship.
Which brings us to the bigger point. There is serious work to be done, be it improving Obamacare, dealing with the budget and the debt ceiling, jobs, tax reform. There is serious work that requires serious statesmanship with a decidedly bipartisan bent.
That’s what we noted in our endorsement in October. After 13 terms, now is your time to shine as a true leader and work to bring your party toward the center, as you were known for earlier in your career, toward more reasonable discussion and actions.
So, enough already. Re-open the government and get to work. If you must obsess over Obamacare, at least do it with the doors open.
This is an editorial from the Kalamazoo Gazette. For more Kalamazoo Gazette opinion pieces and letters visit http://www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/.