Is Roskam 'high-fiving' 3.2 million 2017 loss in health care coverage?

My congressman Peter Roskam's (IL-6) signature issue since the 2008 election of Obama has been to keep America's health case system the worst in the industrialized world. He worked feverishly with the Republican caucus to prevent passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. Once passed, Roskam embarked on a seven year Odyssey to degrade, defund, repeal the ACA. Meanwhile 20 million people in need got first time health care; improving health, preventing medically induced bankruptcy and savings tens of thousands from an untimely grave.

That meant nothing to Roskam, who looked at the 2016 presidential candidates and opted for a candidate who bragged about sexually assaulting women instead of a women candidate seeking to dignify and empower women. Why? Roskam voted for the candidate who pledged to destroy health care coverage for the needy over the one seeking its expansion to all.

Last year Roskam got his wish. The sexual braggart won and began dismantling the ACA; cutting outreach and advertising, encouraging young people to op out, supporting every GOP initiative to reduce its effectiveness, especially a cruel campaign to shrink Medicaid coverage to the poor. 2017 saw the first drop in health insurance coverage since its passage, a whopping 3.2 million losing coverage, raising the percentage of uninsured from to 12.% from 10.9%. A grotesque effort to repeal the ACA failed by a whisker. That was Roskam's only setback in an otherwise banner year for cruelty and heartlessness. The only question remaining is: How does Roskam sleep at night?