I would be remiss were I to avoid commenting on this budget thing going on at the Capital. So here I am, Bitch-Mode™ enabled and my rant in the chamber of the Insult firearm.

Republicans. What a bunch of children. Obviously, they're running contrary to what I'm about to say but I'll say it anyway: You don't get to use the federal budget as a means to attack policy, regardless of your feelings about that policy. So those Republican cretins can sit there and spout off how they were elected to defund/dismantle the Affordable Care Act all they want but they are no better than Bill Cosby's daughter in the bit from "Himself" when he forbids the cookie and catches her trying to retrieve it.

Her: "I was getting the cookie for you!"
Him: "Well I don't want it."
Her: "Oh, can I have it?"

This budget dance is blatantly disingenuous.

Democrats. I know I harp on Republicans a lot - I mean, they are easy targets - but don't think you're safe from the scorn. You imbeciles are just as disconnected from reality as everyone else in power. The average health care exchange cost varies from state-to-state but just to demonstrate I'll use a low-ball: $84.00 per month for a single 25 year-old guy in Michigan, may have been elsewhere, making $25,000 per year. That's the base plan and it's a little bit less than the penalty. I know that roughly $1,000 a year doesn't sound like much. I know that $84 a month also doesn't. This is how I know they are in fantasy land, though: ask anyone making $25,000 per year - regardless of their age/marital status/number of children - if $84 every month is affordable.

It isn't. I'm not even going to explain because if you don't get it based on the base plan example then you won't understand. This is the problem with the ACA.

Don't read me wrong on this one: I get that Republican members of Congress have constituents who are genuinely concerned about this cost, and they feel they are doing the will of those people who voted for them (and I get the sense that a lot of Democrats don't seem to be on that page). The alternative, however, is no insurance. While a lot of people seem to think they don't need it, those people are being stupid.

So for the Republicans: You have to let this play out so we can work out the problems and make it better. Health care is essential so there's no keeping the current system as is. End of discussion.

And for the Democrats: The ACA doesn't go far enough so the costs are still too high. You need to be paying extensive attention so that it can be updated quickly.

With all of that said, here's what needs to happen:

  • Immediate halt of payment to Congress from the "mandatory fund" until a budget is passed.
  • Immediate halt of benefits to Congress until a budget is passed.

That would motivate those numbskulls.