Wow, I mean this thread should have ended hundreds of posts and days ago. Very early, I posted both versions of the bill. But I took it a step further, not only did I copy and paste the changes, I also copied and pasted the applicable portion of what Toomey was talking about.
From the very beginning, the funding was classified as, non-discretionary spending. Republicans didn't complain about that because, quite honestly, that is how almost all funding bills for all health care, the VA, Medicare, Medicaid, are structured. I mean imagine, the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan bill passed under Bush Jr, what if the funding would have been "discretionary", and subject to caps and limits. Dear Medicare Beneficiary, we are sorry to inform you that we have ran out of money and can no longer subsidize your premiums. Instead of paying $35 a month for your drug plan you have to pay $140, and remember, you are locked in until the end of the year. Hell, they would have ran to the Capital and made January 6 look like a damn picnic.
And initially, I was not sure what Toomey's motivation was. First, he is not running for reelection. His term is up at the end of this year. Second, he actually voted to convict Trump on his impeachment charges the second time around. Really comical that the same people that are out to crucify Romney and Cheney now regard Toomey as some kind of hero. But then it hit me. Toomey was picked to be the fall guy. He pays no repercussions if there is backlash, he ain't running again. He was the perfect pick. All the other Republicans keep their hands clean, and all this is really about is payback for Manchin finally agreeing to pass the watered down BBB act without a supermajority. If some Vets die in the process due to lack of access to medical care, then so be it. And make no mistake, there will be deaths.
But what is most insulting about all of this is the presumption of Republicans has to the sheer ignorance of their supporters. I mean right here, in this thread, we have individuals caterwalling about how the spending should be just for the Vets. How Democrats are going to take the money and spend it on something else. The exact opposite is the case here. By classifying the spending as non-discretionary, sometimes called MANDATORY, those dollars are protected. Not only is that spending not subject to caps, pay as you go rules, and the debt limit, they are also protected from some rouge president claiming an emergency and confiscating them.
Look, I don't expect many people to be as politically engaged as I am. Not many people are going to take the time to read pending bills, to intuitively know the Federal budget process, or even to keep up with who is running, who is not running, and who is retiring. But what I do expect is that even the most disengaged voter should know the difference between two words. Discretionary and non-discretionary. Hell, I have some nice dictionaries, but I collect books. Google is your friend. The reality is Republicans actually believe their supporters are too stupid to know the difference. I got to be honest, I would find that so insulting that I would never, ever, vote for a Republican again.
