Letters

Reading a letter from Thomas Jones [“Clarity Needed,” Letters, October 16] always reminds me of a statement from the Ministry of Truth in Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” The narrative is always adjusted so that every action taken by the current administration and the Republicans in the Senate and House is in the best interest of the American people.

There is a very good reason why the Democrats are refusing to go along with the “clean bill” presented by the Republicans: They don’t think that passing a budget that will cause huge increases to medical premiums is the right way forward for the majority of Americans.

The Kaiser Family Foundation and Center for American Progress estimate that if enhanced tax credits expire, as the bill intends, net premiums for those receiving subsidies could more than double, increasing by an average of 114 percent in 2026. A 60-year-old couple earning $85,000 could see their annual premiums increase by $15,400.

Mr. Jones states that the Affordable Care Act is not affordable, but rather than working across both parties to come up with a better version, while leaving the current subsidies in place, the Republicans want to raise premiums now, with the offer of potential collaboration in the future.

Pardon my cynicism, but our current speaker is as slippery as an eel, and I have very little trust that he would negotiate in good faith.

Robin Fish

East Hampton