Republican Senators Fall Apart When Asked If Obamacare Repeal Will Make Things Better

Republicans Senators couldn’t answer or dodged the question when they were asked if Obamacare repeal will make things better for the American people.

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Vox asked 9 Republican Senators about Obamacare repeal, and their answers were telling.

Here is their exchange with sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas

Jeff Stein

But why does this bill make things better for Americans? How does it help?
Pat Roberts

Pardon me?
Jeff Stein

Why does this make things better? What is this doing?
Pat Roberts

Look, we’re in the back seat of a convertible being driven by Thelma and Louise, and we’re headed toward the canyon. That’s a movie that you’ve probably never seen —

Roberts won’t say that ACA repeal is good for people, but launching into a rant about Thelma and Louise is a novel distraction.

Sen. Jeff Inhoffe of Oklahoma admits that the bill won’t protect everyone:

Jeff Stein

Are you confident, and how do you know those savings will be close to enough to protect everyone?
Jim Inhofe

Well, nothing protects everyone.

Sen. John Kennedy of Louisana couldn’t explain why the bill is better than Obamacare:

John Kennedy

I think it’s an improvement over Obamacare.
Jeff Stein

Why?
John Kennedy

My position has always been that number one, I think Obamacare has been a failure.

Number two: First chance I get to vote for repeal it, I’ll do it.

And number three: If it’s replacement, if replacement is better than Obamacare, I will vote for it.

Sen. Kennedy is in a group with the vast majority of Senate Republicans who don’t care what the repeal bill does, they just want to say that they killed Obamacare. Republican Senators also admitted that taking away health care from 32 million people and raising premiums for 130 million others was all political. They feel like they have to do this before the 2018 election. What was unspoken was that they also feel like they have to do this in 2017, because if they try this stunt in a midterm election year, it will cost many of them their jobs.

Republicans can’t explain what is their third legislative attempt to repeal Obamacare. They refuse to say that it will be good for the American people or commit to how this might play out once it is implemented. The big sell point to Republicans is that they get to pass this mess on to the states and take no responsibility for throwing people off of their health insurance and raising premiums.

The reason why Republicans won’t say that the bill will be good for people is obvious. Repealing Obamacare will hurt millions of Americans and wreck the health insurance system. Senate Republicans don’t have the 50 votes that they need for passage yet, but they are close, which is why the next week will be vital in the fight to save Obamacare.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association