GOP Hatred for Obama Era is More Than Repeal and Replace Obamacare: It's Widespread

    Not Only Sen. McConnell's Home State – Probably Across GOP La-La Land

Relative to the subject and the graph above and GOP misplaced fixation on “repealing and replacing” the ACA (Obamacare), this short video clip for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – Senate Majority leader. So, will it impact him? Probably not, he's callous that way, don't you know.

KY Family Farmer with ACA - Who May Lose It

Now the main post for today:

In the four weeks since Trump was inaugurated, congressional lawmakers have moved to address some of the 22,700 regulations adopted under President Barack Obama.

The tool Congress will use to undo Obama-era regulations is known as the Congressional Review Act (passed in 1996). This act allows the president to repeal executive branch regulations and normally impact rules that exceed $100 million or more (ballpark figure) passed or implemented by the previous president and a simple congressional majority votes is all that is needed, plus no judicial review is allowed – neat, um?

A quick snapshot of what that means in simple terms is seen in this short clip:

Rules approved in Obama-era regulations are piling up already since January 20, 2017 when Mr. Trump was sworn into office. I wanted to highlight a few below to emphasize the good, the bad, and the ugly of these steps by the all GOP-run government:

#1.  H.J. 40: The Senate adopted a resolution by a margin of 57-43 disapproving a regulation finalized during Obama’s last weeks in office that would “…prevent some Americans with disabilities from purchasing or possessing firearms based on their decision to seek Social Security benefits.”

#2.  H.J. 41: Repealed the rule which “…required U.S. energy companies to disclose any payments involving domestic or foreign governments to the SEC as part of Dodd-Frank law from the Obama days passed in passed in 2010 as a response to the financial crisis and Great Recession.”

#3.  Public Law 111-296 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act: Was in 2010 passed to improve child nutrition standards and is run by the USDA. It authorizes funding and sets policy for USDA's core child nutrition programs: (1) the National School Lunch Program, (2) the School Breakfast Program, (3) the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), (4) the Summer Food Service Program, and (5) the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The law allows the USDA for the first time in over 30 years the opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children.

Why do GOPers hate this program: Michelle Obama was big force behind it – well that figures. But, let’s get real – some food facts for thought (pun intended):

The so-called “School Nutrition Association” which is actually the powerful industry front group who represents the likes of Pepsi, Domino’s, and General Mills, would us to believe kids are throwing away their healthy lunches. Don’t be fooled: the Healthy-Hunger Free Kids Act has been a huge success. Today, (USDA numbers): Some 90% of public schools are meeting all the nutrition requirements suggested with children eating 23% more vegetables and 16% more fruit.

Why is this importantly critical? Childhood obesity has rapidly become a big national epidemic with early one in three children being overweight or obese for their ages. The last thing children need is not more, but less, unhealthy and high calorie junk food in their diets. That impacts their growth and ultimate overall state of good health, and government should do all it can to prevent that in our school cafeterias.

#4: Coal Companies Can Dump Mining Byproducts in Waterways: Congress voted earlier this month to kill the rule and sent it on to Trump, saying “… the SEC rule put American energy companies at a disadvantage by burdening them with additional costs that foreign competitors do not have to pay. That rule requires disclosure for American companies but not foreign entities, fundamentally harming American workers and shareholders.” The GOP and Trump say it’s unfair – okay fair enough, but now ask why the rule in the first place – and why ditch it now?

SIMPLE: The U.S. cannot force another country to have laws and rules against corruption like we do… since WE DON’T RUN THOSE COUNTRIES LEGISLATIVE BODIES, BUT WE CAN SET GOOD EXAMPLE TO CUT CORRUPTION CAN’T WE???

OR MAYBE HIT THEM SOME OTHER PLACE … B/L: WE CANNOT HAVE DEALS UNDER THE TABLE OR MONEY AS BRIDES FOR BUSINESS CAN WE OR SHOULD WE?

Re: The CRA and Its Purpose, Impact, and Why Now: The rule was a transparency measure intended to deter corrupt business practices by American oil, natural gas, coal and mineral companies.

Impact: Once Congress passes a joint resolution of disapproval and the president signs it into law, the rule is nullified and the agency cannot adopt a substantially similar rule absent an intervening act of Congress, and the rules changed are NOT subject to judicial review by any court.

Noteworthy: Until now, Act has been used successfully only once in 2001 to repeal a regulation created during the Clinton administration pertaining to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Jobs is a weak excuse but a fav one used by Trump: cut government regs and give tax cuts, and thus create jobs – um, sounds like “trickle down economics” redux to me.

I ask: At what cost? Answers to these questions are paramount for business begging for help (tax reform and better deals, etc.)

1.  We can’t hire – I ask: Why not?

2.  We can’t keep good workers – I ask: Why not?

3.  We can’t expand our business – I ask: Why not? 

4.  We can’t compete with foreign countries – I ask again: Why not?

So, just cut their corporate taxes benefits who and how? Their bottom line and profits for sure. Or just cut regulations to “free them” up – to do what? Harm the public, or air, or water, or food, or the environment?

Trump and GOPers will always do anything for the NRA (the gun rights thing regardless of the outcome), big gas, oil, and energy producers (not matter the harm to the land, water, or air), and banking industry, and for what = another 2008 show of force, I guess?

Hang on tight – it already is rough and bumpy. It will get worse, far, far worse.