Sen. Bernie Sanders stormed the Senate floor on Monday to slam the secret Republican effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, saying to Republicans, “What are you afraid of?”
The Vermont senator slammed the GOP plan for its content, its secrecy, and the fact that there have been zero committee hearings on the legislation – unprecedented for a bill of this magnitude.
More of Sanders on Monday from the floor of the U.S. Senate:
Bernie Sanders slams secret GOP health plan: “Every Republican should be embarrased.” pic.twitter.com/D3T95r5Q4T
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— Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) June 20, 2017
Sanders said:
It should tell every American, whether you are a Democrat, a Republican or an Independent, whether you’re conservative or progressive. It should tell you something that major, major legislation is being written at this moment, and most Republicans don’t have a clue as to what’s in that legislation, let alone Democrats, let alone the average American. So I say to the Republican leadership, what are you afraid of? Bring that bill out. … We have not had one hearing to ask members of the administration, people throughout this country what the impact of this legislation will be on the children, on the elderly, on working families, on those who have chronic diseases, on ordinary Americans. What impact will this legislation have on the lives of 300+ million people? We have not had one hearing, not one open discussion. And I should think that every Republican should be embarrassed by this, and I know that many of them are embarrassed by it.Â
As the revved up Sanders alluded to in his floor speech, Republicans are terrified of being transparent about this legislation because they know the American people will reject it.
There is much about Trumpcare that we don’t know, but what we do know is troubling: Millions of Americans will lose their health insurance, those who keep their insurance will pay more and have less assistance affording it, Medicaid will face drastic cuts, and essential benefits will be gutted.
And not only have the Republicans been crafting this massive piece of legislation in total secrecy, but the uncertainty surrounding their efforts have wreaked havoc on the health care system already in place.
As I wrote a short time ago, an insurer in the swing state of Iowa just announced that – because of efforts by Trump and Republicans to undercut the Affordable Care Act – Obamacare premiums will skyrocket next year by over 40 percent.
Whether it’s the process used by Republicans to ram their disastrous Obamacare repeal through Congress or the way they have undercut the current health care system, Democrats are right to hold their feet to the fire.
Donald Trump and Republicans now own health care, and they ae likely to pay a severe price for it going into the 2018 midterm elections.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
