The way of expressing this that really put it together for me was "The United States only ever has one total healthcare bill."

People not getting the healthcare they need already has costs; costs in hours they can't work because they're sick, costs in retraining people for jobs they can no longer do due to health issues, costs in people declaring bankruptcy because they were devastated by medical bills, and costs in lost human lives because of untreated sickness. All of those costs ripple through the economy, and we all wind up paying for them, one way or another.

Even if you assume that universal healthcare wouldn't actually improve the total base amount spent on medicine (it fucking would, in several ways, but assume that it doesn't just for the sake of argument), we would still be coming out ahead because we'd be sweeping the legs out from under the private healthcare industry, which only exists to siphon profits off of expenses that people have to pay or else they die.

Fuck everyone who ever voted against universal healthcare.

They’re aware. It’s no coincidence that the same party that just voted in favor of increasing military funding also dismantled the ACA and votes against socialized single-payer healthcare.

Well put.

70%

And if you even suggest lowering the amount spent. The Pentagon immediately stops supplying body armor to the troops and blames you for killing them...

About half, publicly at least. Half of all this budget will go directly to private contractors.

They defend their interests. It's practically the same thing, don't worry about it too much.

The US went into Afghanistan in October 2001. We didn't go into Iraq until March 2003.

The US DoD is for protecting economic interests more than anything.

That’s how most votes go. Have you seen the marijuana decriminalization and expungement bill? Stalled in the House with 116 cosponsors.

Democrats need to vote in congressional elections.

bOtH sIdEs aRe tHe sAmE

No, if you're low income and don't get healthcare through your employer it's pretty fucking awesome compared to what came before it, which was "oh, well you see the hospital exit there? Keep going until you hit the gutter and die there kthnx bye. Oh, you have insurance? Well your provider says this is a pre-existing condition, so refer to my original statement."

The subsidies on the ACA marketplace make insurance feasible, and the restrictions on pre-existing conditions make it actually useful. Even after being gutted.

You're spreading misinformation that could legitimately cause people harm by not seeking out coverage through Obamacare. Could it be better? Of course.

The ACA was always a health insurance industry handout. It was the opposite of a healthcare reform from the moment Obama dumped Dean over the public option. Deans whole thing was it HAS to have at least a public option or it would just be what the ACA is today: repackaged RomneyCare bullshit that functions as labor control.

Did the Dems do something we don't like? Dems are bad. Did the Repubs do something we don't like? Dems are bad for not stopping it. I am definitely a very left leftist, which I why I use the exact same rhetoric and disingenuous talking points as the far right.

Yeah. Just to be clear, the reason all those Dems voted against this appropriations bill was that it contains carve outs for things like abortion, among other things the far-right caucus wanted. As a result, it will never pass the Senate.

There will now be a lengthy back and forth between the two chambers to try to get a reconciled version passed, and morons like Butthead and Troll-foot can grandstand and repeat Russian talking points to the public.