Nick Bouzianis: Latest bout of Republican chicanery

In recent weeks, a whirlwind of headlines worthy of contempt has cycled through the news media -- sexual harassment allegations and admissions, our commander in chief's latest Twitter rampage and escalating tensions with North Korea. But the imminent threat of a Republican tax reform bill being enshrined into law should capture the bulk of our attention, as it will certainly harm Kansans: The people uniquely capable of stopping it from continuing its steamroll through Congress.

Senate Republicans amended their already wildly unpopular tax bill -- voters disapprove of the plan by a 2-1 majority -- to include a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, a part of the legislation that helps keep premiums low by requiring most people to have health insurance.

This craven addition to the bill will leave around 13 million Americans without health insurance. And it struck the wrong chord with Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran: "Because of the desire for a bipartisan tax bill, I wish we weren't doing the individual mandate."

Moran's hesitation is certainly warranted. If the individual mandate is repealed, the Center for American Progress estimates that the average Kansan will see insurance premiums rise by over $2,000, the number of uninsured Kansans will increase by 112,000 and Medicare in Kansas will sustain a cut of $208 million, effectively slashing subsidized health care for the elderly and disabled.

But even without a mandate, wouldn't low and middle-income individuals ambivalent about purchasing insurance be more inclined to do so after the tax breaks take effect? Not so fast. The Tax Policy Center found that 36 million middle-class and working families nationally would experience a tax increase under the House tax plan by 2027. And thanks to the repeal of the individual mandate, under the Senate plan, those making less than $75,000 annually will see a tax increase.

Kansans should be especially suspicious of a tax plan that advertises flourishing for the middle class while precipitously lowering taxes for the wealthy and corporations after our 2012 "experiment" went terribly awry.

Gov. Sam Brownback's purported "shot of adrenaline" into the Kansas economy, which he claimed would create an explosion of jobs, landed us with massive budget shortfalls and paltry funding for public schools that the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional.

But many still find the pretense of economic growth spurred by a reduction in taxes on the wealthy, a tactic that has long been touted as a surefire way to create job growth and boost spending, a captivating prospect. We should all be circumspect about this claim, however, after Gary Cohn, Trump's economic advisor, asked a group of CEOs if lower taxes would lead them to increase their capital expenditures. Only a few raised their hands. And with that symbolic gesture, Cohn's rationale for cutting corporate taxes fell apart at the seams.

Fortunately, as Kansans, we are well positioned to push back against this policy. Moran is the only GOP senator who is holding town halls over Thanksgiving break: he will be in Frankfort on Nov. 22 and Clay Center on Nov. 25. Moran makes routine trips back to Kansas to listen to his constituents. While the Graham-Cassidy health care bill was in the queue, Moran was the only senator who was waiting to hear from his constituents before he took an official position. Therefore, it is crucial, especially this week, that we let our voices be heard.

Nick Bouzianis is a student and aspiring physician who is studying nutrition at Kansas State University.

Credit: Nick Bouzianis