7 chapters across the catalog
Judge Reed O'Connor of the Federal District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, ruled the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate unconstitutional. The ruling suggests the entire law cannot stand without the mandate, though the act remains in effect pending appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court.
GOP Tax Bill Passage, Obamacare Individual Mandate Repeal
President Trump and Congressional Republicans celebrated the passage of a $1.5 trillion tax cut package, the largest overhaul of the tax code in 31 years. The bill significantly reduces the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and repeals the Obamacare individual mandate. Democrats criticized the bill, claiming it favors corporations over the middle class.
GOP Tax Reform, Corporate Tax Rate, Sunset Provisions
The final version of the Republican tax bill includes dropping the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and repealing the Obamacare individual mandate. Critics argue the bill favors the wealthy, while proponents claim it will spur economic growth. The hosts discuss the "disappearing ink" of middle-class tax cuts that are scheduled to sunset in 2025 or 2027.
Obamacare Open Enrollment and Jonathan Gruber CNN Interview
The 2016 Obamacare open enrollment period is identified as a major campaign issue due to rising premiums and insurers exiting the marketplace. Architect Jonathan Gruber appears on CNN to suggest that the system requires a larger individual mandate penalty to punish "free-riders" and bring more people into the system. Gruber defends the law as a bipartisan solution based on Republican principles, while the hosts characterize the rising costs as a "disruptive innovation" scam.
The hosts critique the media's botched coverage of the Supreme Court's Affordable Care Act ruling. CNN and Fox News initially reported that the individual mandate was struck down, leading to a chaotic "post-mortem" on the quality of modern news production and the complexity of the 190-page judicial document.
Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, and the Ten Thousand Dollar Bet
Mitt Romney challenges Rick Perry to a $10,000 bet during the debate over a disagreement regarding Romney's book and the Massachusetts healthcare mandate. The hosts criticize the bet as juvenile and a sign of Romney's elitism. They compare the high-stakes wager to their own modest one-dollar bets, suggesting the moment makes both candidates look like children.
Nancy Pelosi on Health Care Mandates and Prison Penalties
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was questioned by a reporter regarding the fairness of jailing citizens who refuse to purchase health insurance. Pelosi defended the legislation, stating that everyone must do their part to cover the costs of uncompensated care. The hosts criticize the logic of spending $40,000 annually to imprison someone for failing to pay for health insurance.
