The fact that they made it so the Medicaid cuts and extra requirements don’t take effect until after the 2026 election tells you everything you need to know about the harm they will do and what the reaction will be.
Congress loves to pass legislation with a delayed effect. We saw the Bush Tax Cuts phase in over a decade, only to suddenly Sunset and threaten an enormous tax spike. When Obama took office, he rallied a Democratic majority to save much of the Bush Tax Cut plan, for fear of upsetting the party’s mega-donors.
I guess we can ask the question of the next Congress. Will they defuse the Medicaid bomb and let their constituents eat shit? Or will they kick the can down the road again, because deficits are easier to stomach than unpopular social policy?
Five years ago, I’d have said kicking the can was the preferred strategy. But now? It seems like liberal and conservative politicians alike are nakedly embracing electoral nihilism, on the theory that gerrymandering and fear-mongering will guarantee their positions indefinitely regardless of public policy.
The fact that they made it so the Medicaid cuts and extra requirements don’t take effect until after the 2026 election tells you everything you need to know about the harm they will do and what the reaction will be.
Congress loves to pass legislation with a delayed effect. We saw the Bush Tax Cuts phase in over a decade, only to suddenly Sunset and threaten an enormous tax spike. When Obama took office, he rallied a Democratic majority to save much of the Bush Tax Cut plan, for fear of upsetting the party’s mega-donors.
I guess we can ask the question of the next Congress. Will they defuse the Medicaid bomb and let their constituents eat shit? Or will they kick the can down the road again, because deficits are easier to stomach than unpopular social policy?
Five years ago, I’d have said kicking the can was the preferred strategy. But now? It seems like liberal and conservative politicians alike are nakedly embracing electoral nihilism, on the theory that gerrymandering and fear-mongering will guarantee their positions indefinitely regardless of public policy.