The so-called House Freedom Caucus is all about taking away your freedom from want, as long as what you’re wanting is access to life-giving healthcare. And as long as we are talking about these guys, Americans should know who they are:
Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, is the chairman of the group. Also numbered among them are Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador, Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford and Michigan Rep. Justin Amash.
According to the Freedom Caucus and Donald Trump, the Freedom Caucus is pro-life:
The irony is that the Freedom Caucus, which is very pro-life and against Planned Parenthood, allows P.P. to continue if they stop this plan!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2017
Surprisingly, there is actually some irony to be found in the situation, as John Fugelsang points out. It’s just not the irony Trump claimed:
Who would have thought The Freedom Caucus would be the ones to save Obamacare because the alternative was insufficiently evil?
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) March 24, 2017
If you look at their list of must-haves for healthcare reform, what you see is a pro-death agenda:
Here is what the @freedomcaucus demanded in order to get on board with TrumpRyancare: ELIMINATION of basic services: https://t.co/0SUIPoD0lr pic.twitter.com/a9mCJz3smT
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) March 23, 2017
Republicans have always said as long as we have emergency rooms we don’t need healthcare reform. Now the Freedom Caucus wants to take access even to the ER. Of course, even if you could go to the ER, they don’t want you to be able to get life-saving medication.
There is no avoiding the conclusion that these people are NOT pro-life. You can’t claim to be pro-life if you want to take away pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care. Without these, the United States is reduced to the status of developing nations overseas, where people die, mothers and children both, during pregnancy and delivery. Infant mortality rates would soar.
What this means is that Donald Trump’s morning tweet should give all Americans reason to worry:
ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2017
As Sean Colarossi wrote here this morning, the real threat to Obamacare is not any weakness inherent in the ACA but rather Republican attempts at sabotage. Donald Trump has threatened to continue his efforts take our healthcare away and give money instead to his rich friends.
Given what Republicans want to give us instead, which is a whole lotta nothing, Americans should be worried, because the Republican alternative to Obamacare is death. Yours. Your family’s. Everyone who know who gets sick or gets pregnant.