Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Yes, it's another one of those "be careful what you wish for" stories, describing all the pitfalls Republicans face if they prevail in
King v. Burwell, the case that would strip health insurance subsidies from people buying Obamacare policies on the federal exchange. This has become the major theme of news reporting and thus the conventional wisdom: Republicans stand to lose huge electorally in 2016 if this disaster happens, and they seem completely incapable of figuring out a fix.
Today's installment comes from
The New York Times.
Republicans in Congress would face an enormously complicated challenge to fashion an alternative, and they fear the fallout could lead to election losses if millions of Americans abruptly found themselves without health insurance. […]
The consequences could be felt in statehouses and on Capitol Hill. Of the 34 states that use the federal insurance marketplace and would be most affected, 26 have Republican governors. Of the Senate seats up for election next year, 24 are held by Republicans, and 22 of those are in federal exchange states that could lose their subsidies.
Asked if she hoped the court would rule for the plaintiffs, Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, paused a moment, then said: "Yes, I guess I do. It would provide an opportunity to transition to a new law, or an improved version of the Affordable Care Act." But she added, "I don't think it would be fair to cut off people who have been using Obamacare subsidies."
Right, new and improved. We've only been hearing that for five years with no evidence that it exists. The article goes on to describe the various "fixes" mostly Senate Republicans are forwarding, particularly Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-WI) extension of existing subsidies until 2017, with none allowed for new enrollees. They also point out that the bill would repeal the individual mandate, but fail to point out that Johnson would end subsidies altogether in 2017—for people in states that have their own exchanges as well.
The article downplays the extent to which every one of the Republican ideas are veto-bait, that none would be agreed to by President Obama. It also downplays the extent to which Republicans are completely incapable of coming to an agreement on what they call a "plausible alternative." But it sends the message loud and clear, the GOP is in for a world of hurt on this, and they know it.