Oh Good, the Republican Ghouls’ Terrible New Healthcare Plan Is Gathering Steam
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty
Remember that time like two months ago when Maverick McCain cast a decisive vote to defeat the heinous “skinny repeal” of the ACA, which was actually the least heinous of the GOP’s healthcare plans that month, all of which would have thrown millions of Americans off insurance and made it harder for those with pre-existing conditions to get care? Remember that sigh of relief we breathed, and remember the optimism from last week when Bernie Sanders introduced single-payer legislation that came with more support than it ever has before?
Well, suck that sigh back into your lungs, amigos, because the ghouls are back, and their new plan is on the verge of having enough support to actually pass. Last week, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced a new repeal plan, Mitch McConnell is currently gauging interest and considering a vote, and Graham is rallying Republicans by urging them not to retreat on healthcare with “their tails between their legs.” At the moment, there’s a sense that they have 49 votes in the Senate, just one vote shy of passing the thing and sending it to the House. Graham went on Breitbart Radio this past weekend to brag about how his plan was “Bernie Sanders’ worst nightmare,” and to urge listeners to call their reps and badger them to hold a vote on repealing Obamacare.
And in case you were thinking the current bill is somehow more moderate or acceptable than the old ones, well…you don’t know Republicans. The fact is, this is the same “kick millions of health insurance, gut Medicaid, and give tax breaks to rich people and corporations” boondoggle that we saw before. It may even be worse? The Congressional Budget Office is currently reviewing the bill to give exact estimates, but here’s a taste of what you can expect:
JUST OUT: Here’s a summary of the Graham-Cassidy repeal. Yes, it’s that bad.
Spread far and wide if useful. pic.twitter.com/Z0bbj0qaPd
— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) September 13, 2017
MoveOn’s Ben Winkler had a terrific Twitter thread on the bill, which he called the “Medicaid Abolition” act: