It has been announced that over 6 million people have signed up for the Affordable Care Act, (ACA) prior to the dead line of March 31th. President Obama said the dead line would be extended past that date to allow those applications that are in progress to be completed. This writer believes the extension is reasonable and that reasonable people would understand.
The 6 million people who choose to join the ACA indicates that the program is much needed and will go a long way for those who have been uninsured to enjoy the health benefits that will accrue to them. Regular check ups can now be a part of their routine and their employers will have a healthier work force.
The reaction to the dead line extension from the republican leadership in congress and others was the usual noise of opposition. They also once again for the record will try to repeal the ACA for the umteenth time. They realized from the very beginning that the ACA would be successful and that once understood, the uninsured would embrace it. They also knew that the need for health insurance was there but did nothing during the 8 years of the G.W. Bush administration and so far for the 5 years under Obama.
The republican opposition to every program that the President seeks is in line with their stated objective from day one, and that is for the President to have a failed administration. The President has said that he will not let the republicans repeal the ACA on his watch. President George W. Bush understood when the democrats in congress told him they would not support his wish to privatize social security and he wisely backed off. The republican leadership in congress needs to back off.
President George H.W. Bush was quoted as saying after he lost his reelection bid, "he could not understand how he could have lost the election to Bill Clinton." His wife Barbara was quoted that she told him "to get over it." After loosing two elections to President Obama, it is time for today's republicans "to get over it", grow up and help the President move the country and its people forward.
This commentry written by John Lucia.
