The LuLac Edition #2636, April 16th, 2014

Our “Write On Wednesday” logo.

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

EYEWITNESS TO HISTORY

Former aide to Congressman Chris Carney Ed Zygmunt. (Photo: LuLac archives).

This month marked a major milestone in the Affordable Care Act. But even with 7.5 million Americans enrolled, the Republican party of no is still screaming “what if” and “hey but…’ Can you imagine if that same party had said to Lincoln, “Free the slaves but….” Or to John Kennedy, “The moon…what if green marshmallow men eat us alive as soon as we enter orbit?”
This week for “Write On Wednesday” we have Ed Zygmunt who was here as an aide with that courageous Congressman from our area Chris Carney. Carney sacrificed a lot to get the bill through. His replacement has voted numerous times to kill it. Yep, we get the representation we deserve. Now if Uncle Louie gave Mr. Marino a call……anyway I digress.This opinion piece was in Sunday's Times Tribune but Mr. Zygmunt kindly allowed us to use it here. Here are his thoughts as this new success firmly establishes that this Act is here to stay:
April 1st, 2014 will forever be a bright spot in American history, as President Obama announced from the White House Rose Garden that more than seven million Americans secured health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. For these deserving Americans, having quality, affordable health insurance was no April fools joke. It was a dream that finally came true.
As the President reminded us, this great achievement didn’t happen without a struggle. I know exactly what he meant. Chris Carney was in his second term in Congress when the Affordable Care Act became the center of the nation’s attention. As his field representative here in the sprawling 10th congressional district, I was Carney’s eyes and ears back home while he dutifully served his constituents in the nation’s Capital. Believe me, I heard and saw it all.
I remember well those crazy days when the political spinmeisters convinced so many Americans that Obamacare death panels were going to kill grandma. My fellow staffers and I still share our tales about the contentious town hall meetings Rep. Carney so bravely held in all fourteen counties of his district. And I certainly will never forget the day the Pike County Sheriff had to rescue me from a rowdy crowd of Obamacare opponents. It was not a pretty sight.
But those stories meant little compared to the personal tragedies that Rep. Carney and I heard everywhere we traveled in the 10th district. Families losing their homes because they couldn’t afford the huge medical bills from a life-threatening illness. Women dropped by their insurance company soon after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Distraught parents desperate to secure insurance coverage for their child with a pre-existing medical condition. I could go on and on…
So when the time finally arrived for Rep. Carney to cast his crucial vote, there was never any doubt he would place the well-being of his constituents above all else, knowing full well it could mean the end of his political career. And ultimately it did, for a little while anyway.
Now, five years after its passage, President Obama proudly declared the Affordable Care Act is working for the majority of Americans. “Armageddon has not arrived”, said the President with a smile.
Along with the seven million Americans who signed up through the federal exchange, millions more acquired insurance through the fourteen state-run exchanges. Three million young adults are now covered under their parents’ healthcare plan. And an additional three million low-income citizens are insured through Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, except in our state because Gov. Corbett refused it.
Untold numbers with pre-existing medical conditions are finally receiving the care they so desperately needed, many for the first time in their lives. Senior citizens are realizing lower prescription drug costs. Women can receive free preventive care. Insurers must use at least 80 percent of premiums on medical costs or give you a rebate. And every insured American no longer lives in fear of bankruptcy because of the annual medical expense caps mandated by Obamacare.
Sadly, since the President’s historic announcement, House Republicans cast their 55th vote to take away every one of these life-saving benefits, including our current representative from the 10th district. This has to be the cruelest April fool’s joke of all time.
When it counted most, Chris Carney answered the cry for help from his constituents. We will all enjoy healthier lives because of the courage shown by one BIG man from the small town of Dimock.
And in case you’re wondering if Obamacare is here to stay. Well, to borrow a line from that famous Alaskan inventor of those imaginary death panels – YOU BETCHA!