Sen. John McCain's memorial service hasn't even happened yet, but Republican Senate leadership is warming up their dance moves for his grave celebration. They're also telling Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) that he'd better give them a new senator who will vow to kill the Affordable Care Act, possibly even as soon as this fall.
They are definitely going to get back to Obamacare repeal if the election goes their way, the number three guy Sen. John Thune (R-SD) promises, and "it would be nice to have members who enable us to pass it," "instead of traitors like that dead guy" he didn't say, but sure as hell is implying it. Sen. Ron Johnson, genius, (R-WI) chimes in saying he really hopes the new guy is a "strong ally" who "recognizes that ObamaCare is not a proper solution." And a senior Republican aide sniffs that they're counting on Ducey "to pick someone more like himself. He's a more reliable conservative."
What they weren't willing to say while McCain was dying, they're ready to dish on today. They're still pissed at him for ruining their Trumpcare plans, and for bucking the unindicted co-conspirator on this issue. Never mind that he voted with Trump pretty reliably on everything else. He didn't show proper deference to their new dear leader and so good riddance. Only one Republican senator talked to by The Hill for this article decided that trashing McCain should be done anonymously, saying of Ducey's potential choice for a McCain replacement "It's hard to imagine he could pick anyone more antagonistic."
Whatever Trump wants, that's what they'll do. And what Trump wants is the very heart of the law to be struck down. Literally. His Justice Department is supporting the lawsuit that would declare the ACA unconstitutional and even went the extra mile in a brief to the court to explicitly argue that protections for people with pre-existing conditions must end. Knowing just how strongly voters are opposed to that, Senate Republicans are pretending they don't want it to happen. They even have a sham bill that they call "Ensuring Coverage for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions Act" but which doesn't do that at all.
Clearly, we can't let that happen.
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