Never negotiate with an extortionist. You know how this is going to go. The matter how badly you want whatever it is they are holding over your head, don’t give in.

In the United States, we know how bills are supposed to be introduced in the Congress, how their discussed in committee how then they are passed by one Chamber of Congress. Then the other chamber of Congress has an opportunity to vote on the bill and modify it. If the bill is passed by both chambers of the versions of the bill are different then there’s a committee from both houses of Congress which discusses the bill and then it is voted on again by both houses of Congress. The bill then goes the president to be signed or vetoed. That’s exactly what happened to the Affordable Care Act. Then, the law was immediately challenged and it was upheld by the Supreme Court. We’ve all seen Schoolhouse Rock. That’s how this thing works.

If you don’t like a law that is currently, the law of the land, then there’s a process for repealing laws. As far as I know, the process does not include shutting down the government because you’re having a hissy fit. Republicans don’t have a prayer of repealing ObamaCare through the normal process. So, they thought they would circumvent the normal process and pretend nobody was looking.

More from Robert Reich:

What’s happening in Washington these days may seem far removed from my boyhood memories, but Washington is really just another children’s playground. Its current bullies are right-wing Republicans, now threatening that if they don’t get their way they’ll close down the government and cause the nation to default on its debts. Continue reading →