Every time I hear a republican repeat their call to defund and or kill the Affordable Care Act, especially when it comes from a member of Louisiana's delegation that serves in the U.S. House, I am reminded of a Times Picayune article published in November 2008 (almost 6 years ago) by staff writer Bruce Alpert.
Part of the article is about Louisiana Reps. Bill Cassidy and Charles Boustany's strong views on how to reduce the number of uninsured Americans and want to share them with President Obama before he unveils his legislative package. Cassidy and Boustany are doctors and are presumed to know a little about health care especially the way they talk. Cassidy is running for Mary Landrieu's Senate seat and his commercials show him in his doctors coat.
After going back and reading the article I wonder if those two doctor republicans have ever made a call on their majority party in the House and give them specific examples how their party could come up with a health care plan of their own to introduce to the people. As of this writing they and their party still have no health care plan to replace the ACA. So as doctors, Cassidy and Boustany are batting zero for their own party.
In fact Louisiana's representative John Fleming also serves in the U.S. House and is also a doctor. Thats three Louisiana doctors serving republicans in the U.S. House who have not been able to articulate a health care plan for their party to rally around and introduce to the people. How many years does it take?
This writer would like to see Mr. Alpert write a follow up article and ask the three doctors what they specifically recommended to their own party concerning a health care plan for the uninsured. If they did talk, their republican house members must have not listened.
Or is it the doctors did not even make HOUSE calls?
This commentary written by John Lucia
