Facing South Florida: Impact Of Affordable Care Act
Christmas Eve 2009 was they day when the U.S. Senate passed the Affordable Care Act along party lines; Democrats for it and Republicans against it. Four years later—and a lot of political fighting—the same is still true.
Jim DeFede spoke with U.S. Representative Mario Diaz Balart on why the Republicans are staunchly opposed to it.
Click on the image below to watch the discussion.
The last time a government shutdown was enacted by Congress to try to force the president's hand was in the 1990's. That time, Republicans were roundly criticized for the move and paid for it in later elections.
Democrats in protest brought the last days of the session to a halt using stall tactics leading to further hostility between the two parties.
The political division is not just in Congress, Republicans in the Florida Legislature refused to acknowledge the ACA and passed on 51 billion in federal money to cover about a million low-income Florida residents.
Governor Rick Scott has held the line with the Republican party recently trying to block navigators, people trained to help you sign up for health insurance. He claimed it had to do with privacy concerns.
Current polling indicates a majority of the public will blame Republicans again for a government shutdown.
Jim DeFede spoke with U.S. Lois Frankel about the impact of the ACA and a possible government shutdown.
Click the image below to watch the interview.
A government shutdown could lead to delayed payments for Medicare, delayed Social Security checks, delayed military pay, etc. All of that would contribute to a loss in consumer spending, which in a consumer driven economy could plunge it back towards recession.
Jim DeFede spoke with University of Miami President Donna Shalala about the ACA and the controversy surrounding it.
Click the image below to watch the interview.
