Republican "Health Care" Bill: A Steaming Pile of Turtle Shit

[FORD]

[FORD]

Heartless! Senate Trumpcare Plan Every Bit as 'Ugly' and 'Cruel' as Expected

commondreams.org

by Jake Johnson, staff writer


After weeks of secrecy, the Senate GOP's Trumpcare plan—described as "a tax cut wrapped in the veneer of a healthcare bill" that could portend a "near-apocalyptic scenario for the poor"—was made available (pdf) to the public on Thursday and is largely living up to the gruesome expectations of analysts and critics.

"It's exactly what you'd expect from 13 Republican men and a bunch of lobbyists."
—Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)The bill is not yet in its final form and, according to reports, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is still considering input from corporate lobbyists, but the contents released online have already sparked a flood of alarmed criticism, vows of opposition, and protests outside of McConnell's office.

In its current iteration, the bill:

• Repeals most of the Obamacare taxes, a boon to the richest Americans
• Eliminates funding for Planned Parenthood
• Limits the availability of tax credits
• Ends Medicaid expansion, a crucial component of Obamacare that insured millions, by 2024
• Imposes sharper cuts to Medicaid than the House version of Trumpcare over the long-term—and could essentially phase out the program entirely
• Provides significant room for states to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients

Though many Republicans have expressed hesitation about backing a deeply unpopular piece of legislation that would have a devastating impact on many of their constituents, McConnell has remained insistent upon bringing Trumpcare—which Senate Republicans have formally labeled the Better Care Reconciliation Act—to the floor for a vote next week.

Commentators and activists summarized the bill in much the same way they had in the weeks leading up to its release due to the fact that, as the Washington Post notes, it "largely mirrors the House measure."

Both, if enacted, would rapidly alter the structure of the American healthcare system and increase, by tens of millions, the number of people without insurance.

"Trumpcare doesn't just repeal Obamacare," political analyst Stephen Wolf observed. "It repeals the last 52 years of advances in healthcare policy."

Faiz Shakir, the national political director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argued in a statement the legislation would "endanger the lives and liberty of many Americans."

A free and independent press is essential to the health of a functioning democracy

Shakir continued:

Heartless! Now we know why Senate Republicans have done everything they can to hide the contents of their health care repeal bill from the American people. By eviscerating Medicaid, this bill threatens the liberty of people with disabilities, who will be forced to live in nursing homes and institutions instead of their own homes. By defunding Planned Parenthood, this bill threatens the health of 2.5 million women and men in our country, many of whom rely on the health centers as their only source of care. And by throwing tens of millions of people off their insurance, this bill disproportionately impacts communities of color who will lose access to care and coverage.

In a blog post on Thursday, Indivisible co-executive directors Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg deemed the bill "cruel" and "ugly," and outlined an action plan for those looking to resist its passage.

"Heartless! Now we know why Senate Republicans have done everything they can to hide the contents of their health care repeal bill from the American people."
—Faiz Shakir, ACLU national political director

"We are under no illusions that victory is assured here," they concluded, "but victory is possible."

Democratic lawmakers, who in recent days have responded to grassroots pressure by vowing to forcefully oppose the legislation, were also quick to respond to the plan's release.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) pointed out that Trumpcare's contents are hardly surprising.

"It's exactly what you'd expect from 13 Republican men and a bunch of lobbyists," she wrote.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

[FORD]

Industry Was Doubly Generous With These 13 GOP Senators Now Drafting Trumpcare

commondreams.org
Industry Was Doubly Generous With These 13 GOP Senators Now Drafting Trumpcare
by Common Dreams staff


13 fucking treasonous assholes

As a group of 13 Republican senators—all of them both white and male—continue to craft in secret their version of a major healthcare overhaul bill, a new analysis shows these lawmakers have received approximately double the amount of campaign contributions from the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries than their Senate colleagues who have been so far excluded from the process.

According to Maplight, a watchdog that tracks campaign spending, those chosen by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to draft the Senate's version of Trumpcare legislation have collected, on average, $214,000 from companies that will be directly affected by major changes to the nation's healthcare system. That compares to an average of just $115,000 bestowed upon members not participating in the closed-door negotiations. Four of the 13 have received more than $300,000 from the insurance and pharmaceutical industries between November 2010 and November 2016, the timeframe covered by the analysis. Both McConnell and Sen. Orin Hatch of Utah have received well over $400,000 during that time period.

Here's the breakdown:


The turtle's real name is ADDISON??? No wonder he's such an asshole!

While it was reported that the Senate group would release as a draft their bill on Thursday, the secretive process—in addition to trickles of information about what the bill may contain—has been the source of public outrage and protest.

A free and independent press is essential to the health of a functioning democracy

As Maplight notes, "The lack of transparency and public information about the bill makes it impossible to analyze the impact on the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, but indications from stock prices earlier this year showed investors were betting GOP legislation would be a boon for pharmaceutical companies and health insurers."

[Nickdfresh]

Three Republicans (at least) won't vote for it, it's going nowhere...

[FORD]

Well.... Mike Lee (one of the 13) has already complained about it, but after seeing the list above, maybe he's just pissed that the corporations didn't pay him as much as the others....

"It's not being written by us".

Well, gee thanks for that honesty, Mikey. Hope Elohim, your Heavenly Father activates what is left of your conscience so you can vote accordingly. Not much chance of your fellow Mor(m)on Orrin Hatch doing so, of course.

[FORD]

[FORD]

Reportedly, Rand Paul, Lying Ted, and that imbecilic pedophile who stole Russ Feingold's seat are complaining that this piece of shit bill DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH and might vote against it on those grounds.

Whatever works, you goddamned monsters....

[Kristy]

Three Republicans (at least) won't vote for it, it's going nowhere...

Wanna bet? Christ, you'll believe any news story


At least when the Rethuglicons place granny on the street to die she won't be alone.



I so hope this cocksucker gets a stoke and/or some form of inoperable cancer and dies a slow, painful death for all the suffering he is about to cause.

[Terry]

I'd have to agree on Paul Ryan.

He really is the personification of a douchebag.

But these guys, and the wealthy elite they represent, honestly feel this is their due. And they will enact these types of wealth redistribution to the upper tiers and the rest of us are virtually powerless unless we act to prevent it. Otherwise, we will just get what we deserve for letting it happen.

[Nickdfresh]

Wanna bet? Christ, you'll believe any news story


At least when the Rethuglicons place granny on the street to die she won't be alone.



I so hope this cocksucker gets a stoke and/or some form of inoperable cancer and dies a slow, painful death for all the suffering he is about to cause.

Maybe, but there is speculation that his is just a bullshit make-believe because most Republican's know that they'll take an ass-pounding at the polls eventually for this...

[FORD]

[FORD]

On the Road Again.....



Ford -

This is literally insane.

Senate Republicans are talking about passing a bill that impacts one-sixth of the American economy, that touches every single American family, and it is going through a process where perhaps a dozen Republicans are the only people in America who know what’s in this bill. They’ve kept it secret, kept it hidden, and now at the last possible second are going to rush it before the U.S. Senate to get a vote.

It’s a disgrace.

They call it a health care bill, but how can it be a health care bill when it throws 23 million people off of insurance, slashes Medicaid, and defunds Planned Parenthood? God knows what the implication of this legislation will be on our children, the elderly, and those with chronic illness.

Sometimes you have a hard time understanding what kind of world these guys are living in.

Time is running out. It is up to all of us to act in an unprecedented way. We have to think big and do everything humanly possible to make sure this horrendous piece of legislation does not become law.

So this week, I am going back on the road to visit states where there are Republican Senators who can and should vote to stop this moral abomination. I will be in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia on Saturday and Sunday. I will be talking about how unspeakable it would be to throw millions of people off of health insurance and in the same bill give tax breaks to the rich and multinational corporations. We will share the stories of people who will be impacted by this bill.

But I will also be asking why is it that the United States is the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care to all of its people as a right. I will be asking why we pay far more per capita than any other nation for health care with worse outcomes and the highest prices for prescription drugs.

And I will be discussing the Medicare-for-all, single-payer legislation that I will soon be introducing in the United States Senate.

People who cannot afford health care do not deserve to die, but that is what will happen if this bill passes. If there are rallies in your area, please attend them. Please work with me to revitalize American democracy and advance our political revolution.

Thank you for your continued support.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

[Kristy]

If master Bernie needed a stoner to waste everybody's time I'm available.

Then again, seeing master Bernie is a millionaire himself so what does he care? He's not going to die under the Rethuglicon plan. Fuck him.

[Kristy]

Oh, was Debbie Dingell not available?

[FORD]