Discussion: Senate GOP's Obamacare Repeal Efforts: Lots Of Talk, Little Action

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When will the CBO on
score for the House Bill get releaaed?

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Wednesday, but are they qualified to analyze Khmere Rouge economics?

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It’s like they are going down the river approaching the falls furiously paddling against the river.
They are paddling against the inevitable slide over the falls.
They promised the Koch’s and the Oligarchs repeal
But
If they repeal Obamacare and throw 20 million off health insurance and successfully bankrupt a few million more from health care costs, it will cost them their seat.
Rock meet hard place

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Calling this a health care bill is the biggest joke of all. It’s not about health care but about raiding Medicaid and the ACA subsidies to pay for tax cuts to people who don’t need them.

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I’m guessing it’s one of two things. They have no fucking clue what they are doing or they know what they are doing, know it will screw over so many folks it will take them down, so are avoiding doing anything. I’m guessing the second.

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“Who could have guessed that governing would be so hard?”

Signed,
Republicans

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There is an interesting sub note to that question…

The bill is still in the House, they haven’t sent it over to the Senate. Because they are waiting on the CBO score, and depending upon that, may have to redo the entire thing in order to get it to meet the Senate Byrd rules for reconciliation.

Yes, they held a high profile beer party to celebrate…NOT getting their monstrosity of a bill passed. Apparently because it really is Beer O’Clock somewhere, all the time.

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Nor are trillions of dollars for tax cuts for the wealthy “reform”. They are tax cuts for the wealthy.

TPM shouldn’t fall into the trap of reporting the news in euphemisms.

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Sane Senate Republicans have to be furious with their House colleagues for throwing this hot potato into their laps. (Before you jump on me about the term sane Republican, note I said nothing about evil as good/evil is a different categorization than sane/insane). One strategy they may or may not be considering is to bring the House bill to a vote as is and vote it down with a near unanimous margin. This would send a message to Ryan and company to get serious and develop a passable bill before you throw shit like that over the wall for us to clean up. I don’t think this would be a bad strategy on their part but I doubt they have the gonads to do it.

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Maintaining the individual mandate for a transition period? “Lord, comma, no, exclamation point,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) responded, when asked about the idea.

Gee, I remember a time when the Republicans insisted that any potential healthcare bill include an individual mandate, as it was the only way to guarantee that we’d have no “freeloaders.”

That has apparently been superseded by their desire to guarantee that no one gets healthcare.

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Repeal…and…and…and

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Well, the very idea of them getting any traction on this is almost as depressing as the idea of a Trump Presi-ohhhh…

But if they do pull this off this year… I think the odds of actual single-payer universal healthcare in 2021 skyrocket.

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Don’t worry, if it involves hurting poor people and benefit the top few percent they’ll pull together to get something passed. Moderate. Republicans. Always. Cave.

(And if I am wrong I will be thrilled.)

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Agree absolutely. The term “tax reform” makes me crazy.

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Mitch McConnell makes some calls to turn some screws and gets this answer

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Oh I’m sure Lyin’ Ryan will insist on the special GOP patented Dynamic Scoring ® that will justify the deaths of millions of people so the 1% can buy more mansions and Rolls Royces.

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Well, Joni Ernst insists that there will be no problem with Obamacare repeal because the churches will step up to take care of the truly needy.

Phony Joni is too stupid to realize that it would take more than one church bake sale to cover someone’s round of chemotherapy…

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Too many senators oppose the House version of AHCA for different reasons.

McConnell himself has to deal with the fact that Medicaid expansion in KY has greatly reduced the number of uninsured. Kentuckians like it, providers like it, Rural hospitals face closure under AHCA, too.

Cruz wants lower premiums. Cassidy understands the dynamics of the uninsured better than any GOPer and the number who will lose insurance disturbs him. M urkowski and Collins don’t want Planned Parenthood defunded. Cotton’s pissed at how the House rammed this through and dumped it in the Senate to fix.

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Republicans write the bill in secret adding only what is necessary to reach 51 yeah votes. Democrats and the public are excluded. Zero hearings. Zero public discourse. Secret input from insurance industry big donors. Zero input from groups representing public health and safety issues.

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