With the spectacular failure of the
recent GOP healthcare bill which did not even reach the House for a
vote, President Trump has warned that he will let the Affordable Care
Act (ACA) implode on itself and then attempt to blame the Democrats
for its failure. This is quite possible now that Trump controls
Health and Human Services (HHS) via his newly appointed head of the
agency, Tom Price. Since people's lives are literally at stake when
it comes to medical care, it is important that his threats are taken
seriously.
When news stories begin to surface
about services related to the ACA being unfunded or purposely
mismanaged, it is we, the people, who will need to make sure that
these not-so-sexy news stories are not hidden or under-reported by
the media, mainstream or otherwise. Petitions must be created and
organized political actions must be taken to pressure local
congresspersons and senators to not ignore Trump's agenda to destroy
the ACA from within for political gain.
It is clear that constituents
confronting lawmakers via phone calls, emails and at town hall
meetings had an impact on lawmakers and their stances on the recently
failed GOP bill. There's no reason to doubt that the same strategies
would also be effective in helping to prevent the sabotage of the ACA
by the Trump administration. However, because it is not known exactly
what the Trump administration will do, activists need to be vigilant
in order to respond in a timely manner.
