Senate Republicans are rushing to pass the Graham-Cassidy Obamacare repeal bill, and the plan is to do it without a Congressional Budget Office analysis or real hearings or debate. What do they like about this bill, other than the fact that if they don’t pass something by September 30, they have to get 60 votes? Vox’s Jeff Stein asked nine Republican senators about their support for the bill and while some of them gamely tried to come up with “reasons,” it’s clear that, beyond blind hatred for Obamacare, the September 30 deadline is the only real reason they support this particular bill.
The GOP senators insisted that the tens of billions in cuts to federal health spending proposed in the bill would not result in coverage losses because, they said, the states would have more flexibility.
“They can do it with less money,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), who was unable to explain how or why.
Ted Cruz didn’t so much dodge the funding question as refuse to acknowledge that it had been asked. Cruz claimed that “the heart of the legislation takes the policymaking role of Washington and sends it to the states.” Stein followed up: “If you’re saying, ‘Let’s just devolve power to the states,’ why also cut federal spending so dramatically?” Cruz non-answered that “My central focus from the beginning has been on lowering health insurance premiums.” Except he didn’t have an answer for why he believes premiums will go down under Graham-Cassidy. Basically, the famed debater had a series of talking points that sound like they make sense in isolation, unless you’ve either seen the question he was supposed to be responding to or know anything about what’s actually in Graham-Cassidy.
And while “states’ rights” was the most popular answer, Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy took the reverse position, insisting that the bill has to be amended to block states from instituting single-payer plans. Yet another example of how Republicans are consistently opposed to local control if it might make things better for working people.
There is only one way to stop Trumpcare: Republican senators must pay their political price by having constituents mad at them. We need you now, more than ever to make calls. Call your senator at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to vote NO. (After you call, please tell us how it went.)
But Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts had the winning explanation of his support for Graham-Cassidy:
Other Republican senators, meanwhile, fell back on political explanations for a bill that experts warn could result in millions losing their insurance. “If we do nothing, it has a tremendous impact on the 2018 elections,” said Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS). “And whether or not Republicans still maintain control and we have the gavel.”
Although … you take millions of people’s health coverage away, you just might find that will have a tremendous impact on the 2018 elections, too. But not reaping the electoral benefits of Republicans hurting millions of Americans is an electoral sacrifice Democrats are willing, even eager, to make.