Less than 24 hours after taking control in Washington, the Republicans are at their old tricks.

With millions of people experiencing long-term job loss, the economy in shambles and American soldiers in two wars, all the Republicans want right now is to repeal the health-care laws passed just last year.

That is it. Just repeal them.

They have not offered any suggestions for alternatives to the present laws, nor have they actually admitted that the health care situation is broken and needs to be overhauled. Their sole concern seems to be with the insurance industry and the old mantra that having mandatory coverage is, somehow, un-American.

At least the Democrats were willing to try to fix a system that cared not for people, only profits. They fought long and hard to get some kind of reform of that system. While the so-called ObamaCare is not perfect, it does set the stage for meaningful discussions and long-overdue changes that will benefit the people, rather than the billion-dollar-profit companies.

To simply repeal the laws and bring the country back to a place where insurance rates increased 20 percent a year, while benefits decreased, where denial of coverage was commonplace (allowing people who didn’t have insurance to burden the system), with no ideas or options is shortsighted and irresponsible at best.

Perhaps, if every House member and Senator who votes for repeal were forced into private insurance plans, they would reconsider their stand.

Joseph Mailey, Auburn