Rand Paul Says It’s Time To Move Past Russia Scandal, Focus On Taking People’s Healthcare

As the Trump administration continues to drown in the new developments surrounding Donald Trump’s ties to Russia, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says it’s time to move on from the scandal and instead focus on taking people’s health insurance coverage.

In an interview on Fox News – of course – Paul said that Jeff Sessions’ announcement that he will recuse himself from any Russia-related investigations is good enough, and it’s time to “hone in on” dismantling the Affordable Care Act.

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Paul said: “The biggest debate in the Capitol and in the country right now is what to do with healthcare, and so I think we need to hone in on that and I think that, hopefully, the press conference by the attorney general will help us get on to business.”

First of all, no.

Attorney General Sessions’ press conference today was not enough to put this issue to bed. Sure, Sessions should not be involved in any inquiries related to Russia, but that was always a given. Even before this story broke, he should have recused himself. He gets no points for what he did today.

It’s also equally troubling that Sessions lied under oath during his Senate confirmation hearing. Whether an investigation involves Russia or some other country is irrelevant – the nation’s top law enforcement officer should have a spotless record when it comes to truth telling. Sessions clearly does not.

Secondly, the American people aren’t buying what Republicans are selling when it comes to repealing and “replacing” the Affordable Care Act. They don’t want lawmakers to “hone in on” destroying something that, in many cases, has saved American lives.

That’s why, from coast to coast, in big cities and small towns, folks are turning out at town halls to urge the GOP to back away from their pledge to repeal this law. If they’re having a tough time handling the heat now, just imagine the backlash they’d face if they are eventually successful in repealing the law, which is now more popular than ever.

Rand Paul and the rest of the GOP may want to change the subject – honestly, I can’t blame them – but they should be careful what they wish for. Trying to ignore a massive scandal and instead focus on dismantling a law that has helped so many people probably isn’t the best strategy.

Sean Colarossi

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.