GOP Senator Boasts GITMO Detainees Have Better Healthcare than Average Americans

Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:30 pm

While trying to make the case for keeping Guantanamo Bay open as a detention center, Republican Sen. John Ensign said of the detainees, “They get better health care than the average American citizen does.” I think Ensign just gave the Democrats their best argument in favor of healthcare reform.

According to the Las Vegas Sun Ensign was trying to make the argument for GITMO to stay open, “It is hard to imagine why we would ever think about closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. I walked away very proud of what our troops are doing down there. I think any American would be proud as well.”

Then Ensign added, “They get better health care than the average American citizen does.” Ensign opposes healthcare reform and has taken $978,936 from the healthcare industry in campaign contributions since 1989. Why is Ensign bragging about the healthcare for detainees while refusing to support better healthcare for average Americans? That doesn’t seem right to me. Ensign is a Republican whose position on the healthcare is issue is filled with hypocrisy.

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I don’t see the notion that detainees have better healthcare than average Americans as something to be proud of. In fact, it should be a source of shame for every member of Congress, and a reason for every American to demand healthcare reform. I guess that Ensign doesn’t believe that average Americans deserve healthcare that is as good as those accused of terrorism.

(H/T: Think Progress)



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