NBC anchor Willie Geist and Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd were miffed during Sunday Today following a recent ruling out of a federal court in Texas declaring the so-called Affordable Care Act (a.k.a ObamaCare) was unconstitutional since the “tax” penalty was a zero dollars. The liberal duo was not having any of it.
After trying to ease the fears of viewers who might have insurance plans through ObamaCare, Geist went off on Republicans for trying to have a health care debate after a midterm election where they lost the House.
“But have we now opened this up because of that ruling by the federal judge in Texas now for another year of debate, Chuck, over the Affordable Care Act,” Geist complained. “A debate, by the way, that didn't go particularly well for Republicans about a month ago in the midterm elections.”
That teed up Todd to rail against Republicans for thinking they could come up with something better than what Democrats concocted:
That's right. And they've had at least sole control of Congress going back to 2014. They've yet to be able to come up -- they've had since 2010 when they've run against it, they've yet to come up with a bill that they could figure out how to meet the cost issues without a mandate. And so, that's why they've never been able to come up with an alternative. Because they can’t come up with an alternative that protests – gets insurance companies to protect pre-existing conditions without jacking up rates even higher.
Although Todd at first tried to play coy with how he saw the case shaking out, he anticipated “the courts just quickly throw out this ruling.”
“You know, his basis on the idea that just because the tax is zero means the tax doesn't exist, there's plenty of precedent out there that says just because a tax is at zero doesn't mean the tax doesn't exist,” he argued as though he was a lawyer. “They could move the tax -- they could move the penalty up again to a penny and then suddenly the tax is in there.”
“So I assume this actually gets beaten back quickly,” he continued.
Todd’s final point was his concern that Washington D.C. couldn’t handle a health care debate due to the current heated climate. “Look, 2019 we’ve a lot of stuff on our plate. Throw health care into this mix. We already are a pretty dysfunctional town as it is. I don't know how they tackle this if they have to,” he huffed.
“As you point out, there’s going to be appeals upon appeals to this ruling in Texas,” Geist added as they moved onto discussing the Russia investigation.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC’s Sunday Today
December 16, 2018
8:05:21 a.m. EasternWILLIE GEIST: As Kelly points out, we should say for our viewers again, if you have a plan under the Affordable Care Act for 2019 you're okay for the time being. But have we now opened this up because of that ruling by the federal judge in Texas now for another year of debate, Chuck, over the Affordable Care Act? A debate, by the way, that didn't go particularly well for Republicans about a month ago in the midterm elections.
CHUCK TODD: That's right. And they've had at least sole control of Congress going back to 2014. They've yet to be able to come up -- they've had since 2010 when they've run against it, they've yet to come up with a bill that they could figure out how to meet the cost issues without a mandate. And so, that's why they've never been able to come up with an alternative. Because they can’t come up with an alternative that protests – gets insurance companies to protect pre-existing conditions without jacking up rates even higher.
Yes, it's possible it does this. I am curious to see, it seems as it's possible, the courts just quickly throw out this ruling. You know, his basis on the idea that just because the tax is zero means the tax doesn't exist, there's plenty of precedent out there that says just because a tax is at zero doesn't mean the tax doesn't exist.
GEIST: Right.
TODD: They could move the tax -- they could move the penalty up again to a penny and then suddenly the tax is in there. So I assume this actually gets beaten back quickly. But think about the “Medicare for all” debates that’s on the left. You still have people on the right that would like –
Look, 2019 we’ve a lot of stuff on our plate. Throw health care into this mix. We already are a pretty dysfunctional town as it is. I don't know how they tackle this if they have to.
GEIST: As you point out, there’s going to be appeals upon appeals to this ruling in Texas.
