Why Republicans Never Addressed "Health Care"

This post is in response to those who throw out the accusation that the Republicans, in all their years in office, did not address health care.

That is true - they did not. And for good reason.

Republicans and Democrats differ in nature, as they must or they would be the same party. Democrats believe the government should take care of everyone. Republicans believe we should take care of ourselves (self-reliance) and the government's job is to get out of the way and let us do that.

But the reason is actually deeper than that - unlike liberals, who have little use for the Constitution and like to make believe it is a "living, evolving" document, Republicans take the Constitution literally, because the Constitution says we must - any changes, no matter how minor can only be by amendment.

And nowhere in the Constitution does the government have the authority to provide any entitlements of any kind. None. In fact, the Constitution actually prohibits it in the 10th Amendment, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people". In other words, if the power is not specifically granted in the Constitution, then the government does not have that power, nor can it assume it. And the Constitution is exceedingly clear as to exactly what powers the government has. It even lists them, individually. And nowhere does the Constitution grant the government any right or authority to provide entitlements, or pay for them with taxpayer funds. Period.

The founders understood that we must first and foremost be self-reliant if we were to be strong. They also realized that some people are unable to care for themselves through no fault of their own, but that it was not the task of government to care for them - it was a task for the people (families, neighbors, church, community) or the states.

I am not saying Social Security or Medicare are necessarily "bad" things. What I am saying is that they are illegal, as they are in direct violation of the Constitution. Those things, where they become necessary, should be done by the people, or by the states. The government simply has no legal right to do them.

Republicans, because the party is based on self-reliance, understand that. And that is why they never addressed health care - it's not their job, and it would violate their oath of office.

What government CAN do is offer tort reform; pass a law that allows the purchase of insurance components across state lines; place restrictions on the practices of insurers so they cannot drop people when they get sick. And these are things Republicans have gone on record as supporting - but Democrats do not (except the latter one).

But it is 100% unconstitutional to pass any law that is even vaguely similar to an entitlement, and it is 100% unconstitutional to force free citizens to buy any specific product(s), regardless of whether or not it would benefit the nation.

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