Top Dem to Paul Ryan: We Will Work With You If You Stop Trying to Kill People

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 08:45 pm

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Of course, that is my take on the letter. Democrats did not say exactly that they would work with Republicans if Republicans would agree to stop trying to kill people. They spelled out the ways things Republicans are doing that bring the most harm to the most people and offered to work with them if they stopped doing those things.

Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi offered an olive branch to Speaker Paul Ryan and House Republicans, promising to work with them on fixing Obamacare if they would set aside repeal, abandon cuts to Medicaid, and abandon huge tax cuts for the wealthy. Basically, if they stop trying harm the people just so they can give a tax cut to the rich, Democrats will work with them to tweak Obamacare.

Full text of the letter can be found below:

July 18, 2017

The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker of the House
H-232, United States Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

The American people have spoken. They have rejected Trumpcare’s assault on the good health of hard-working Americans.

Now, Republicans must pivot and work in a bipartisan fashion to lower health costs, improve quality, and expand coverage, while strengthening the stability of the marketplaces.

As Senator McConnell said earlier this month, “If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, then some kind of action with regard to the private health insurance market must occur.” In that spirit, we must act before the August recess to address the cost sharing reduction payments issue.

Democrats extend the hand of friendship if Republicans will set aside repeal, abandon cuts to Medicaid, and abandon huge tax breaks for the wealthy.

House Democrats have developed proposals to update and improve the Affordable Care Act. Congress should work in regular order for the good of the American people.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

best regards,

NANCY PELOSI
Democratic Leader

This looks like it’s very close to checkmate. Republicans have been saying for seven years that Obamacare sucks. They ran on repeal and replace, but never had an actual replacement bill lined up.

Now they’re faced with taking something away that the people have come to see as a right – I have even had Republican Trump voters argue that healthcare is a right, and so repeal alone won’t work either.

Republicans need to get real about legislating. Their devotion to relentlessly humiliating themselves by failing at every turn to serve the people is not working for anyone, even them.

Sarah Jones

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Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.

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