By Doug Cunningham
Workers Independent News is heard Monday through Friday after the 6 and 11 p.m. news on 97.9 WHAV.
If you were sitting in Congress, would you act first to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that could create millions of jobs or focus instead on taking healthcare away from millions of people?
Republicans are choosing to take away healthcare instead of creating the infrastructure jobs.
Families USA says the House GOP repeal of the Affordable Care Act would replace it by slashing coverage and rationing care for millions of people.
Republicans want to reduce Obamacare subsidies that have helped millions afford healthcare. The GOP also wants to end the Medicaid expansion that brought healthcare coverage to millions more people least able to afford it.
Families USA also says the Republican plan to destroy the Affordable Care Act would substantially raise consumer costs.
So, millions of Americans will have worse coverage or lose their coverage while paying more for it.
It virtually wipes out Medicaid as it currently exists replacing it with per person spending caps, a shredding of the social safety net according to Families USA. Republicans are prioritizing slashing health care for millions of people over passing a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill that could create millions of jobs.
Study Says $1 Trillion Infrastructure Spending Would Create 11 Million Jobs
More than 11 million jobs would be created over ten years if Congress approved a $1 trillion U.S. infrastructure rebuild. That’s according to a study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and The Workforce.
The report says it would at least temporarily revive America’s blue collar economy because more than half of the new jobs would go to high school-educated and college dropout workers.
According to the report, if the Senate Democratic infrastructure plan were adopted it would create even more jobs—15 million over 10 years.
Historically more jobs have been created under Democratic presidents than under Republicans.
Labor Joins Democrats Opposing Republican Tax on Healthcare Benefits
Labor leaders are joining Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee urging House Republicans to drop plans to tax worker healthcare benefits.
The GOP wants to cap the tax exclusion for employer based health care plans.
What does that mean for you? It means if you have the best employer based healthcare coverage Republicans want to punish you with an extra tax.
Labor and Democrats say it effectively raises taxes on the middle class while encouraging employers to drop good healthcare plans.
Well, Republicans did call it: “World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017”, so it must be true.