Since October 2010, after the ACA's passage, the United States has enjoyed 60 straight months -- five years -- of employment growth. This represents the country's longest job-growth streak since World War II. Additionally, 2014 saw the strongest job growth in the United States since 1999.
The Act's biggest triumph has been in providing eighteen million more Americans with access to health insurance. The Census Bureau found that last year, every state in the United States experienced an increase in the percentage of people with health care coverage.
As a way to bash the President, the ACA will apparently remain an inevitable talking point as the Republican primary approaches. It is unlikely that any of the candidates will admit to its proven successes. Senator Ted Cruz promises in debates to "through regulatory reform, repeal every word" of the Act. Trump, Christie, Carson, and others mention "repealing" or "replacing" Obamacare, including Trump's November radio ads just out. So much for the millions who, now insured, create the record low uninsured rate. Yet it's not likely that even a President Trump, Carson, Cruz, or Rubio would have enough "chutzpah" to take away any or better coverage from tens of millions if elected.
Robert Weiner is a former spokesman for the Clinton White House, former Chief of Staff of the House Aging Committee and Health Subcommittee, and was senior staff for Reps. John Conyers, Charles Rangel, Claude Pepper, Ed Koch and Sen. Edward Kennedy. Brendan Agnew is Economic Policy Analyst at Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
