EDITORIAL: Rush to pass health-care bill warps Congress’ usual process

Sept. 19--As they've attempted several times this year, congressional Republicans are hurriedly trying to pass a bill that would eliminate the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) and replace it with something else.

We are setting aside this new proposal's demerits, which are ample. Instead, our point here is about process and doing things the right way.

As in their previous unsuccessful attempts, Senate Republicans are proceeding without following the usual procedures. That means (a.) no series of committee markups where lawmakers can closely examine the bill and suggest improvements, (b.) no hearings with expert testimony to weigh the bill's pros and cons, and (c.) no long-frame timeline so the public can examine how Congress' independent analysts have scored the bill's impact.

In fact, promoters of the current measure -- Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. -- are in such a rush there won't even be time for the Congressional Budget Office to fully study the bill. Supporters, including President Donald Trump, are demanding the Cassidy-Graham bill pass before the end of this month.

In the words of Daffy Duck, "What a way to run a railroad!"

So, here's a test for the three candidates in the race for a U.S. Senate seat from Alabama. If elected, will you take part in this "ready, fire, aim" style of lawmaking? Will you go along with this deviance of regular order, where hearings, testimony and unrushed contemplation of bills are set aside in favor of these rush jobs to dismantle the Affordable Care Act?

Or, are your leadership skills up to the task of convincing your Senate colleagues to slow down and thoughtfully consider legislation that will affect hundreds of millions of Americans?

Luther Strange and Roy Moore, who will face each other on Sept. 26 in the Republican primary runoff, should be the first to weigh in. In a sense, Strange has the advantage. He was appointed to temporarily serve in the Senate. He could stand up today and demand that his colleagues apply the brakes on this needless rush to end Obamacare. Instead, he could say, Democrats and Republicans should work together to make necessary improvements to the nation's health-care system.

Alabama voters should also hear from Moore and Doug Jones, the Democrat who will face the winner of the Sept. 26 runoff in a Dec. 12 election.

Alabama voters deserve to know if their candidates favor contemplation over chaos.

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