Another Obamacare repeal effort doesn't actually have to be in the tax cuts bill, says the guy heading up popular vote loser Donald Trump's Office of Management and Budget. Mick Mulvaney told Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday that the administration would like it to be there, is "OK with taking it out" if "it becomes an impediment."
"I don't think anybody doubts where the White House is on repealing and replacing Obamacare. We absolutely want to do it," Mulvaney told host Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union."
"If we can repeal part of Obamacare as part of a tax bill, and have a tax bill that is still a good tax bill that can pass, that's great," Mulvaney continued. "If it becomes an impediment to getting the best tax bill we can, then we're OK with taking it out. So, I think it's up to the Senate and the House to sort of hammer out those details."
Got it. For Mulvaney, the main thing is that big, juicy tax cut for rich people. But has he told his boss that? Because Trump has been pretty darned obnoxious about making sure that it's in the bill. When the House passed their version without it, he took to Twitter to harass the Senate into doing it.
Now that it's in there, plenty of Republicans are coming around to the idea that they own Obamacare now. When insurance premiums go up, Republicans are going to be blamed. When rural hospitals close down, Republicans will get the blame. When millions of people lose their insurance, yep, it's on Republicans' heads. Trump doesn't particularly care, but Mulvaney must be smart enough to realize the potential disaster of losing yet another massive fight because of Obamacare.
Jam your senators' phone lines at (202) 224-3121. Tell them to vote "no" on the Republican tax bill.
