GOP tries to sneak a blow to Obamacare into their tax bill while they think no one's looking

According to a new report, GOP lawmakers are considering using their newly unveiled tax scheme to secretly undermine the ACA while Americans aren’t looking.

The tax bill, which was released on Thursday, is already bad enough. Described as a “grotesque plan that almost nobody can love,” the scam would shower the wealthiest Americans with tax cuts while leaving the other 99 percent of the country out to dry.

Now, it may get even worse.

House Republicans, under Speaker Paul Ryan, have tried again and again to demolish Obamacare, to no avail. But their efforts to chip away at it continue unabated.

Speaking at a Politico event on Friday, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady — the author of the tax scam — said Republicans are considering adding a provision that would repeal the ACA’s individual mandate.

KEVIN BRADY told us there’s new consideration being given to repealing individual mandate in tax bill. pic.twitter.com/g4sEGP03ea

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 3, 2017

The individual mandate is a central element of the ACA that helps keeps costs down for sick people and improves market conditions for insurers. Without it, some healthy people would choose to forego insurance, causing insurers to raise prices for the people who stay in the insurance market. As prices increased, more people would leave the insurance market, leading some insurers to drop out of the ACA’s marketplace entirely and forcing others to raise prices even more.

Ultimately, this would result in a so-called “death spiral.” According to analysts, an estimated 15 million people would lose health insurance if Republicans use their tax scam to repeal the individual mandate.

Republicans know this, yet they’re still pushing to go forward with the plan, which Donald Trump vocalized his support for this week.

“Wouldn’t it be great to Repeal the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate in ObamaCare and use those savings for further Tax Cuts for the Middle Class.” Trump tweeted. “The House and Senate should consider ASAP as the process of final approval moves along. Push Biggest Tax Cuts EVER.”

Wouldn't it be great to Repeal the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate in ObamaCare and use those savings for further Tax Cuts…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

….for the Middle Class. The House and Senate should consider ASAP as the process of final approval moves along. Push Biggest Tax Cuts EVER

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

Trump has actively tried to sabotage the ACA for months, including stopping payments the federal government owes to insurance companies that provide coverage to the poorest Americans. His administration also cut funding for advertising and outreach by 90 percent in an effort to ensure that fewer people sign up for health insurance during the fall enrollment period.

GOP lawmakers know that sabotaging the ACA is an unpopular idea, but instead of listening to voters, they’re hoping they can secretly do it while no one is looking.

If they succeed, Republicans are counting on voters to blame the fallout on Democrats, who originally created the health care law, and not on the current administration, which is in charge of enforcing it.

Unfortunately for the GOP, most voters are smart enough to see through the deception. That doesn’t mean they won’t try to go forward with the plan — but if they do, they should prepare to be held accountable in the court of public opinion.