SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are pushing to strip healthcare from millions of Americans while they accept generous healthcare subsidies from the government. (Photo: Getty)
GOP Exhibits 'Bottomless Bad Faith' With New Shutdown Hostage: Community Health Centers
Republicans are now pretending to care about funding for health centers that they allowed to lapse four months ago
Feb 06, 2018
Just weeks after Republicans cynically used children's health insurance funding to lure Democrats into voting for a short-term spending bill, the GOP confirmed on Monday that their hostage this time around--with a possible government shutdown looming on Thursday--will be the community health centers that provide "a lifeline" for 27 million Americans.
"Community health centers have replaced children's insurance as the hostage that the GOP does not own up to opposing and yet wants counted as their concession."
--Daniel Nichanian
The House GOP announced late Monday that two years of funding for the Community Health Center program will be included in a spending measure that also proposes a full year of funding for the Pentagon.
The bill, which does not include a DACA fix, could reach the House floor for a vote as early as Tuesday evening.
Given that Republicans have not previously shown any urgency to provide money for the health centers--allowing funding to lapse over four months ago, creating a what Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called a "healthcare crisis no one is talking about"--critics were quick to denounce the GOP's newfound concern for the centers as a "bad faith" attempt to coerce Democrats into choosing between fighting for Dreamers and funding a crucial healthcare program.
"This only makes sense as a way of running the government if you want to continually reserve the right to create a crisis or bankrupt a program," wrote MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Twitter Monday, highlighting the fact that the GOP's proposed stopgap measure would only fund the government through March 23. "If they thought Community Health Centers should be funded for two years, they, obviously, could have done that in the last [continuing resolution], but it was taken as a hostage."
\u201cCommunity health centers have replaced children's insurance as the hostage that the GOP does not own up to opposing and yet wants counted as their concession. https://t.co/AGuEpGkamK\u201d— Taniel (@Taniel) 1517877707
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Just weeks after Republicans cynically used children's health insurance funding to lure Democrats into voting for a short-term spending bill, the GOP confirmed on Monday that their hostage this time around--with a possible government shutdown looming on Thursday--will be the community health centers that provide "a lifeline" for 27 million Americans.
"Community health centers have replaced children's insurance as the hostage that the GOP does not own up to opposing and yet wants counted as their concession."
--Daniel Nichanian
The House GOP announced late Monday that two years of funding for the Community Health Center program will be included in a spending measure that also proposes a full year of funding for the Pentagon.
The bill, which does not include a DACA fix, could reach the House floor for a vote as early as Tuesday evening.
Given that Republicans have not previously shown any urgency to provide money for the health centers--allowing funding to lapse over four months ago, creating a what Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called a "healthcare crisis no one is talking about"--critics were quick to denounce the GOP's newfound concern for the centers as a "bad faith" attempt to coerce Democrats into choosing between fighting for Dreamers and funding a crucial healthcare program.
"This only makes sense as a way of running the government if you want to continually reserve the right to create a crisis or bankrupt a program," wrote MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Twitter Monday, highlighting the fact that the GOP's proposed stopgap measure would only fund the government through March 23. "If they thought Community Health Centers should be funded for two years, they, obviously, could have done that in the last [continuing resolution], but it was taken as a hostage."
\u201cCommunity health centers have replaced children's insurance as the hostage that the GOP does not own up to opposing and yet wants counted as their concession. https://t.co/AGuEpGkamK\u201d— Taniel (@Taniel) 1517877707
Just weeks after Republicans cynically used children's health insurance funding to lure Democrats into voting for a short-term spending bill, the GOP confirmed on Monday that their hostage this time around--with a possible government shutdown looming on Thursday--will be the community health centers that provide "a lifeline" for 27 million Americans.
"Community health centers have replaced children's insurance as the hostage that the GOP does not own up to opposing and yet wants counted as their concession."
--Daniel Nichanian
The House GOP announced late Monday that two years of funding for the Community Health Center program will be included in a spending measure that also proposes a full year of funding for the Pentagon.
The bill, which does not include a DACA fix, could reach the House floor for a vote as early as Tuesday evening.
Given that Republicans have not previously shown any urgency to provide money for the health centers--allowing funding to lapse over four months ago, creating a what Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called a "healthcare crisis no one is talking about"--critics were quick to denounce the GOP's newfound concern for the centers as a "bad faith" attempt to coerce Democrats into choosing between fighting for Dreamers and funding a crucial healthcare program.
"This only makes sense as a way of running the government if you want to continually reserve the right to create a crisis or bankrupt a program," wrote MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Twitter Monday, highlighting the fact that the GOP's proposed stopgap measure would only fund the government through March 23. "If they thought Community Health Centers should be funded for two years, they, obviously, could have done that in the last [continuing resolution], but it was taken as a hostage."
\u201cCommunity health centers have replaced children's insurance as the hostage that the GOP does not own up to opposing and yet wants counted as their concession. https://t.co/AGuEpGkamK\u201d— Taniel (@Taniel) 1517877707
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.