In public, Senate Republicans struggle to explain why they support Graham-Cassidy, the latest Obamacare repeal bill they’re pushing. In private, Republican lobbyists and aides are a lot more honest about the situation, as Sam Baker and Caitlin Owens of Axios found out:
"If there was an oral exam on the contents of the proposal, graded on a generous curve, only two Republicans could pass it. And one of them isn't Lindsey Graham," a senior GOP aide told Caitlin. [...]
"I am just in shock how no one actually cares about the policy any more," one GOP lobbyist told Caitlin. [...]
"You could do a post office renaming and call it 'repeal-replace' and 48 Republican senators would vote for it sight unseen," the GOP aide said.
These senators don’t know most of what’s in Graham-Cassidy, what they know isn’t good, and many of them either don’t care or they celebrate the harm they’ll be doing. Our job is to persuade them to care or to persuade them to fear for their electoral futures.
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.)