Granger forum; better healthcare; Reagan ideals
Granger forum
Conditions are perfectly aligned for Congresswoman Kay Granger to conduct an open forum in Fort Worth.
First, major legislation is being considered by Congress in which the public has a vital interest.
The proposed redo of the Affordable Care Act is legislation that will impact many of Granger’s constituents and on which there are multiple views that need to be heard.
Shortly, the president’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year will be released, and as described to date it will contain numerous proposed changes that will be of great concern to a wide variety of interests of the people of Texas’ 12th Congressional District.
Right around the corner is a scheduled congressional recess, a time when members of Congress are free of daily business in the nation’s capitol and able to be with constituents at home.
With a new president in office and profound legislative proposals being brought forward, it is essential that Granger provide an opportunity to listen and engage with “the people” that she represents.
Alan Abeson, Fort Worth
Better healthcare
The Congressional Budget Office has scored the heathcare bill to inform the nation that after two years there will be fewer people with access to healthcare than before Obamacare was passed.
The premiums will continue to rise at a double-digit rate.
Now is the time for the people to come forward and encourage members of Congress to not rush a bill that at the moment seems doomed to fail, but instead ask them to work across the aisle to craft a bill that has a chance to stand the test of time.
Failure to create a bipartisan bill will only mean that when the political pendulum swings the other way, this bill will be repealed and replaced with a more liberal plan.
Opposing the other party should not be the goal of our representatives. Instead, it should be to do the work of the American people.
If our representatives refuse to do that, we should “term limit” them by voting them out of office.
Steven Katten, Fort Worth
Reagan ideals
Ronald Reagan has long been held as an ideal by the Republican party.
His most impressive feat, along with his State Department, was to begin dismantling the Soviet Union without firing a shot.
We now watch as Vladimir Putin has enlisted the current administration to turn the tide the other way and dismantle our union and our relations across the world.
To this, most of the Republican Party has been silent, save John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
In the interest of advancing their domestic objectives, Republicans are willing to turn us into a second-rate power.
Reagan believed in and fostered American exceptionalism. He believed that we should lead the world in democracy and made us feel it was our duty to do the same.
It is utter insanity to think we don’t need a strong State Department. For every dollar not spent on diplomacy we will need to spend three on defense.
We will lose allies and increasingly be on our own in coming struggles. America burns while Nero tweets.
George Logue, Hurst
This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Granger forum; better healthcare; Reagan ideals."