Wonkbook: Why the GOP really is seeking to pass this health care bill

By Matt O'Brien The Senate health-care plan isn't a health-...   The latest economic and domestic policy from Wonkblog   Demonstrators hold signs during a healthcare rally opposing the American Health Care Act (AHCA) bill on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. One of the Senate Republicans charged with negotiating an Obamacare replacement expressed frustration Tuesday with the secret process, saying that even he hasn't seen the proposal set to be released in two days for a possible floor vote next week. Photographer: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg By Matt O'Brien The Senate health-care plan isn't a health-care plan. It's a tax cut. That's clear enough from how little thought it puts into actually stabilizing insurance markets versus how much it does into showering the rich with as much money as possible. Indeed, it would go so far as to retroactively cut the capital gains tax — something, remember, that's supposed to be about incentivizing future investment — in an apparent bid to get people to create jobs six months ago. The way it would slash Medicaid to pay for this tax-cutting largesse, though, is even more important. It would be more than just a transfer of wealth from the poor and sick to the rich and healthy. It would be a transfer of financial risk from the government to individuals. This isn't about keeping taxes low for our time. This is about keeping taxes low for all time. The easiest way to think about all this is that Republicans are trying to solve two problems. The first is that they want to be able to say they did something to get rid of Obamacare, and the second is that they want to keep health-care spending from growing the government down the road. Viewed from this perspective, the Senate bill checks both boxes. ADVERTISEMENT   Read more on Wonkblog. Chart of the day         From "The amount of work that once bought an hour of light now buys 51 years of it," by Christopher Ingraham. Most Recent Posts from Wonkblog The real reason Republicans want to pass this Obamacare bill so much The Senate plan is an inspiring piece of legislation for everyone who thought Robin Hood was picking on the wrong people. By Matt O'Brien  •  Read more »   The ultimate symbol of the pre-recession boom is back Despite our best hopes, the McMansion didn't die. By Ana Swanson  •  Read more »   The amount of work that once bought an hour of light now buys 51 years of it Human progress, measured by candlelight. By Christopher Ingraham  •  Read more »   A ‘very credible’ new study on Seattle’s $15 minimum wage has bad news for liberals Seattle officials wanted to help poor workers when they voted to boost the minimum wage, but a new study says they may have done the opposite. By Max Ehrenfreund  •  Read more »   What marijuana legalization did to car accident rates Two recent studies reach seemingly disparate conclusions. By Christopher Ingraham  •  Read more »   How the Senate bill could send the health insurance market into a death spiral Experts say only the sickest people would be insured, insurers would exit the individual market and premiums could shoot sky-high. By Kim Soffen  •  Read more »   Why Wawa won't let food stamp recipients buy a sandwich on toasted bread It's actually the law of the land, and some groups want it to get stricter. By Caitlin Dewey  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   The Finance 202 Your daily guide to where Wall Street meets Washington. Sign Up »         Share Wonkbook:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for a Wonkblog newsletter. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071