Heatlh Care: Republicans Don’t Know When to Quit

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Short of Repeal, G.O.P. will Chip at Health Law,” demonstrates a major character flaw in the Republican Party, they don’t know when to quit. The legislative battle over health care has been waged and won by the Democrats. The Republicans should be gracious in defeat and give the new law a chance to work and let Americans evaluate the results.

Instead, they can’t admit defeat and will work to dismantle the law in every way they know how. This includes preventing money for enforcement, going after specific provisions — such as requiring businesses to pay a tax penalty if they don’t offer insurance to their employees — limiting support of the I.R.S. meant to ensure compliance with the law, and much more.

Of course, the Republicans are ignoring popular provisions of the law such as prohibiting discrimination by insurance companies based on pre-existing conditions, keeping children on their parents’ policies until age 26, removing caps on lifetime benefits and the removal of co-pays for preventative health services. Republicans are also threatening to hold investigations about the new law if they gain the gavel by taking over the House.

This is not the way our politics is supposed to work and brings the meaning of obstructionism to a whole new level. The Republicans had their chance to work with the Democrats to shape the healthcare legislation but they chose not to. They should take their lumps and give the legislation a fair chance to succeed.