Congressman Rick Crawford on Passing Bill to End Government Shutdown & Affordable Care Act

Vote to End Government Shutdown

• 📌 Congressman Rick Crawford is confident that the House will pass a bill to end the government shutdown.
• 🚗 Crawford and Congressman Trent Kelly drove to Washington D.C. to ensure they could cast their vote, due to concerns about flight delays.
• 🤝 Crawford anticipates that the bill will pass with bipartisan support, potentially including three or four Democrats.

Criticism of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

• 💡 Crawford states that the problems with the ACA began in 2010 when it was passed without Republican support.
• 📉 He argues that the ACA has led to negative outcomes, including rising premiums, false promises about keeping existing insurance, and a decline in healthcare quality.
• 🏥 Crawford highlights the issue of over-consolidation within the healthcare industry, with only a few companies controlling the market.

Proposed Healthcare Solutions

• 🗣️ Republicans have proposed alternative healthcare plans, but consensus has been difficult to achieve.
• 🏢 Crawford favors a return to an employer-based healthcare model, viewing it as a competitive and cost-effective approach.
• 🏛️ He recalls an instance in 2017 where a single vote in the Senate prevented a change to the ACA.

Congressional Healthcare Mandate

• 🗣️ When questioned about using the ACA himself despite his criticisms, Crawford explained that members of Congress are mandated to use it.
• 🚫 He noted that while Senator Harry Reid exempted his staff, other members of Congress are enrolled in the ACA, similar to the general public.
• 😥 Crawford expressed that the ACA is unsatisfactory for both constituents and members of Congress.