The Republican healthcare bill, which was thought to be on life-support last week, is now back before the Senate, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is trying desperately to pass the legislation.
So desperate is the GOP to pass some form of repeal and replace for the Affordable Care Act that Arizona Senator John McCain–diagnosed with a brain tumor just last week–will be returning to vote in favor of the Senate bill.
While Republicans have long promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, President Trump signaled Tuesday morning that he wants repeal, and to hell with replacement:
ObamaCare is torturing the American People.The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017
The latest score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says as many as 22 million Americans would lose health insurance if Trumpcare becomes the law of the land. Should Republicans only repeal the current system, that number would rise to 32 million.
Additionally, the latest version of the Senate bill has not been seen by most senators. Instead, it has been tweaked in private and will not be presented until sometime Tuesday, giving the Senate just a few hours to read the bill before a vote on a motion to proceed is taken.
No matter what happens Tuesday, it now seems clear that McConnell, working with the White House, is determined to at least give the impression that the Senate is doing something on the issue of healthcare. Should that something wind up leaving tens of millions without access to affordable health insurance, he and his party could see themselves swept out of power in the 2018 midterm election.
Trump’s tweet got a great deal of scorn–and outright anger–from others on Twitter:
The only one who is torturing America is you. #Trumpcare is dead and it will be buried today.
— Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) July 25, 2017
It's not about healthcare. This is what birtherism has morphed into. Donald has a searing hatred towards our last real president.
— Matt (@MJBLINTN) July 25, 2017
The real President Hillary Clinton beat you by 3 million votes! Stop farting on America! #Hillarybeattrump https://t.co/icWXahZMz5
— Hillary Beat Trump (@potushill) July 25, 2017
since Obamacare gave millions access to care, I think you might want to check the definition of torture.
— Alex Morash (@AlexMorash) July 25, 2017
https://twitter.com/iskandrah/status/889797826523385856
No matter what happens in the days ahead, Republicans will be reminded of an old saying should they succeed in ripping health insurance away from millions who need it: You break it, you bought it.
Featured Image Via the BBC
