Ignorance on health care policy is the pre-existing condition of both political parties. For the past four election cycles, Republicans lied to us about repealing Obamacare and finally allowing a market-based system built on competition to flourish. Now they are officially running in November on the same platform as Democrats on health care, the defining economic and fiscal issue of our time.

While the GOP base is captivated by the Kavanaugh saga and the spectacle of GOP leaders fighting on this one issue, we have forgotten about the biggest betrayal of all: Obamacare. Republicans not only lied to us about repealing Obamacare when they controlled all three branches, they have now championed the core elements of the law, thereby making the entire premise of Obamacare a consensus. By ceding the entire narrative on health care, they have committed the ultimate malpractice by exonerating the Left from blame for hurting consumers. Quite a feat indeed!

Just before the House left town for the entirety of October, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, the chairman of the pivotal Rules Committee, introduced a resolution proclaiming that those with pre-existing conditions should have “access,” under any GOP Obamacare replacement, to plans that essentially codify the community rating regulation of Obamacare. Now, obviously Republicans are done with health care anyway, so this issue is, unfortunately, moot. But it’s jarring is that Republicans continue to echo the Democrat talking points without educating voters on how we got to this point and who is at fault. This follows comments made by Mitch McConnell a few months ago: “Everybody I know in the Senate, everybody is in favor of maintaining coverage for pre-existing conditions.”

There is a pre-existing condition plaguing committee chairmen and leaders of both parties who preach government-run health care. That condition is grave ignorance of how we got to this point with such a dysfunctional health care system.

We are told by the chief intellectuals and policy experts that we must destroy health care and the medical insurance market for everyone because of those with pre-existing conditions. But the entire discussion over repealing Obamacare hinges on one reality that everybody refuses to discuss.