Sen. John McCain declared his opposition Friday to the GOP's last-ditch effort to repeal and replace "Obamacare," dealing a likely death blow to the legislation and, perhaps, to the Republican Party's years of vows to kill the program.
"I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal," McCain said in a statement, referring to the bill by Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
"I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried," he said. "Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it."Since it's never over until it's over, we await word from other critical Senators to make sure Obamacare repeal is dead -- for now. You can contact Sens. Murkowski or Collins (here's the Senate directory one more time, with phone numbers and email); please keep in mind both are at a minimum neutral or leaning against Graham-Cassidy, so please be your usual polite selves!.
Thank you @SenJohnMcCain for being a hero again and again and now AGAIN— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) September 22, 2017
"Graham-Cassidy would cut federal spending on insurance subsides and the Medicaid expansion by an estimated $243 billion between 2020 and 2026. That is neither what Republicans campaigned on, nor what their constituents want. But it is what their most affluent donors want — or at least they believe it moves the ball in their desired direction. While Republican voters are broadly supportive of Medicaid — and many GOP senators from Medicaid-expansion states have touted their support for the policy — the conservative donor network funded by the oil billionaires Charles and David Koch has been unequivocal in its opposition to the federal program."The Koch's and their ilk seem to have found at least one visible bag man: the detestable bigot Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum, who, among other scams, runs a PAC -- "Patriot Voices" -- to collect dark money to spend on far-right causes. According to reports, Santorum had a pivotal hand in drafting the Graham- Cassidy bill, despite being out of the Senate since 2006. If you think Santorum was acting as an independent agent without the backing of that dark money, we have a jar of moonbeams to sell you.
OMG. the @GOP's attempt to buy Murkowski's #GrahamCassidy vote is literally just...— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) September 21, 2017
OK ALASKA CAN KEEP #OBAMACARE https://t.co/WMMsl670cg pic.twitter.com/zhXWCX923q
"The Graham-Cassidy (GC) bill, as proposed on September 13, 2017, threatens to make health care unaffordable and inaccessible for millions of older Americans. The bill eliminates two sources of financial assistance – premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions – critical to ensuring that low- to moderate-income older adults are able to afford the coverage they need. For a 60-year-old earning $25,000 a year, premiums and out-of-pocket costs could increase by as much as $16,174 a year if they wanted to keep their current coverage. The bill may also allow states to charge older adults age 50-64 significantly higher premiums than under current law on the basis of their age by waiving federal protections that limit the practice known as age rating." (emphasis added)Blue Cross Blue Shield similarly declared its opposition to the repeal bill, saying in a statement,
"...we share the significant concerns of many health care organizations about the proposed Graham-Cassidy bill. The bill contains provisions that would allow states to waive key consumer protections, as well as undermine safeguards for those with pre-existing medical conditions. The legislation reduces funding for many states significantly and would increase uncertainty in the marketplace, making coverage more expensive and jeopardizing Americans’ choice of health plans. Legislation must also ensure adequate funding for Medicaid to protect the most vulnerable."These major organizations join the likes of the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, and 16 patient and provider groups (e.g., the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the March of Dimes, and the Arthritis Foundation).
"By our own example we must teach children to be good stewards of the world they will inherit. We must remember that they are watching and listening so we must never miss an opportunity to teach life's many ethical lessons along the way."Many were quick to point out that teaching must begin at home with her own disturbed husband:
Dear Melania:— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) September 20, 2017
Your husband is Donald Trump. https://t.co/z67Xwgp0fa
Melania Trump to give anti-bullying speech at The UN, right after the anti-sexual assault speech by Camille Cosby.— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) September 20, 2017
Melania Trump talking about cyber bullying to the UN is like Mike Huckabee talking about being humane to dogs to PETA.— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) September 20, 2017
Melania Trump is going to speak against cyber bullying while the GOP is trying to kill millions.— Frederick Douglass (@HITEXECUTIVE) September 20, 2017
Sounds about right.#GrahamCassidyBill
We'll be watching Jimmy Kimmel tonight. We're sure he has a lot more to say now.
At a weekend donor retreat attended by at least 18 elected officials, the Koch brothers warned that time is running out to push their agenda, most notably healthcare and tax reform, through Congress.
One Texas-based donor warned Republican lawmakers that his “Dallas piggy bank” was now closed, until he saw legislative progress.
“Get Obamacare repealed and replaced, get tax reform passed,” said Doug Deason. “Get it done and we’ll open it back up.”
Nonetheless, Koch officials said that the network’s midterm budget for policy and politics is between $300m and $400m.So, the financial incentive for these monsters has been on the table for some time, which explains the multiple Republican efforts since last spring to repeal Obamacare in the face of overwhelming popular opposition. Could there be a better example of "the D.C. swamp" than these privileged sociopaths willing to exchange cash for your health and well- being?
