I mean, I agree 100%, we should prioritize that. But $100 Billion is $300/person. We need to change a lot about the effectiveness of the American medical system to make it work for less because $300/person right now will get you like an annual checkup at our inflated cost of care.
$300/p could more or less cover a good chunk of the US population though. It'd be a good start and in theory take some of the stress off of the insurer. Far from ideal but it could've been a good step.
You'd think $300 would cover the Dentist, Eye Doctor, and Annual checkups and some cheaper prescriptions. But I will admit idk if the pricing we see is much different from other pricing.
I sure do care about Ukrainians right now, and we do need to get that funding back on track.
However....
That's a pretty big slap in the face for anyone hoping for student debt relief, universal healthcare, or parental leave. And told constantly it would bankrupt us. Suddenly we find 100 billion in between the couch cushions when there is even a wiff of war.
Just from a fiscal perspective, universal healthcare really can't be grouped in with those others. Even in countries that do public healthcare well, it represents a large chunk of domestic spending.
Even by Sanders' own estimates for the Medicare For All bill (which, for the sake of argument, I'll just accept on faith), the annual cost is three trillion dollars a year, about thirty times the cost of this aid bill. They're not really comparable, especially given that there's more than a "whiff" of war.
universal healthcare really can't be grouped in with those others.
It's even worse to compare it to a one-time aid bill to a country currently fighting off an invasion (and Israel). That money supporting Ukraine literally helps everyone in the world (relatively cheaply), except aggressor Russia.
But back to universal healthcare. The US spends 4.3 Trillion dollars on healthcare. Every year. People will get sick no matter what. We're already paying that, it's just so much goes to middlemen like insurance companies that we literally pay more for worse quality healthcare.
Oh, and less families would be bankrupted and fewer people dead in the streets from preventable causes if we had universal healthcare...
Unless you want to barter with your medical provider using cold war era weaponry, it's not a direct comparison. Most of the "dollars" in aid Ukraine receives is equipment. There have been cash payments mostly for (allegedly) humanitarian purposes, and I won't begrudge them that.
Also the Israel aid is vouchers for them to buy US military equipment. Now whether we should support a genocidal nation at all is a question worth considering, but it's never stopped us before.
At this point it stopped being your money a long time ago and became your debt and your children’s debt and your children’s children’s debt. Got to love unhinged unbalanced generational national debt.
I firmly believe the only support Israel should get from us is to keep others out of the conflict. The only way they could get weapons is if they purchase them. They don't need combat support.
White House officials are considering asking Congress for an aid package primarily aimed at supporting Ukraine and Israel that could cost as much as $100 billion, although that preliminary estimate may change as planning remains in flux, according to four people briefed on the matter.
In conversations with congressional staffers, Biden aides have discussed proposing as soon as this week a major foreign policy package amid numerous international crises, including the war between Hamas and Israel.
Money to respond to recent U.S. natural disasters, including wildfires in Maui and various hurricanes, could also be folded into the legislation.
One person, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations, said the request would cover a full fiscal year for the crises it is intended to address.
“We intend to get the package at the end of this week and it will include the military help Israel needs, the diplomatic and intelligence help Israel needs, as well as humanitarian aid to minimize the loss of innocent human life, of Palestinians and of Israelis,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters.
House Republicans have grown increasingly wary of providing taxpayer funds to Kyiv, but may be more likely to do so if a request also includes money for the border and Israel.
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