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There are often "symbolic votes" on issues, especially taken by the opposition party in a situation they know the bill could never become law. To take just one
by themgt 7y ago
There are often "symbolic votes" on issues, especially taken by the opposition party in a situation they know the bill could never become law. To take just one example, many Republicans ran for years on opposition to Obamacare and a promise to repeal it, even voting for repeal in the House and passing with wide margins. When finally Trump won the White House and the GOP controlled all 3 branches of gov't, they ultimately balked at voting to repeal[1].
In the reverse situation, it's understood that leadership in Congress often head counts up to the number of votes needed and then give a pass to members to symbolically vote against as long as it doesn't affect the outcome - e.g. the GOP impeachment votes.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efforts_to_repeal_the_Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efforts_to_repeal_the_Patient_...
- mirimir 7y ago> When finally Trump won the White House and the GOP controlled all 3 branches of gov't, they ultimately balked at voting to repeal. Well, it is basically a Republican national healthcare program, which preserved the hugely profitable health insurance industry. Modeled on RomneyCare.
- monocasa 7y agoWhich itself was modeled on the HEART act, the collaboration between literally Newt Gingrich and the Heritage Foundation in the mid nineties created when they thought Hillarycare might gain steam. All of the major pieces, including individual mandate and exchanges makes it's way back to that proposed plan. It's some real wag the dog shit. Both that Obama's "compromise" plan was the far right position on the mid nineties, and that Republicans still characterized it as just left of Trotsky taking the major provisions that they championed all the way to the supreme court.