Trump's Full Court Press on healthcare

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 3:03 pm

There is something strangely poetic about the bill that would take so much health care away from so many being held up because one of 100 senators is recovering from a surgery.

One would hope that being blessed to have surgery and a recovery time would be an epiphany for McCain and that McConnell has nothing.

That may be too much to ask though, because McCain's got his.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 3:32 pm

Well, the Senate Democrats are asking that this extra time be used for an opportunity to hold public hearings.

I'll pause now for laughter.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 4:01 pm

Oh and in reading around some more, looks like good old Mitch might be talking out of both sides of his mouth:

Johnson said that despite the Senate bill’s flaws, he was willing to vote for it because it ended the Medicaid expansion and sharply curtailed the growth of the program overall. But McConnell’s reported backroom conversations are making him doubt what he’d been promised.

“If our leader is basically saying don’t worry about it, we’ve designed it so that those reforms will never take effect, first of all, that’s a pretty significant breach of trust, and why support the bill then?” he told a small audience in Green Bay.

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 8:57 pm

Two more GOP senators, Lee and Moran, just came out against the bill, so as of right now the votes aren't there. It'll be interesting to see if more GOP dissenters come out now since Lee and Moran already bit the bullet to be the votes killing the majority.

So what happens now? McConnell tries to revamp the bill again?

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:09 pm

Holy shit.

https://twitter.com/braddjaffy/status/8 ... 1410435073
So McConnell has abondoned Trumpcare and is saying, "fuck it, lets go full repeal with full acknowledgement that we have no earthly idea what to put in it's place".

I didn't see this coming and have no idea whether it's going to fly.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:14 pm

You didn't think McConnell would just give in to exactly what Trump's been tweeting about for a while now?

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:20 pm

So desperate to be able to say they did *something* before the midterm elections roll around.

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:24 pm

I can't imagine this passing. The effects would be absolutely devastating, but never say never, particularly when you're talking about the GOP.

I assume this is McConnell's way of getting this thing over with one way or another...

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:27 pm

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/sta ... 7350439936

@realDonaldTrump wrote:Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:04 am

Irresponsible.

Cruzcare was a monstrosity.

What other insanity will fail next?

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:30 am

I for one am shocked that working with the Dems was an empty bluff.

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:43 am

Collins and Capito are already out with a firm "NO" on straight repeal, and Portman was just extremely critical of the idea. As of now, it doesn't seem like "Repeal and Delay" has much momentum.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:48 am

Captain Caveman wrote:As of now, it doesn't seem like "Repeal and Delay" has much momentum.

Hopefully as pressure mounts to do something, they don't cave to the "Burn it all to the ground" politics that apparently Mitch McConnell is willing to engage in. Seriously, F that guy.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:06 am

Captain Caveman wrote:Collins and Capito are already out with a firm "NO" on straight repeal, and Portman was just extremely critical of the idea. As of now, it doesn't seem like "Repeal and Delay" has much momentum.

Trump himself has either a) changed his mind about repealing Obamacare overnight, or b) doesn't know the difference between repealing Obamacare and letting it just die on the vine, as evidenced by another tweet he issued this morning:

As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!

As he has always said? Just last night (and previously), he said REPEAL! Good lord.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:19 am

Yeah, it's really hard to see "repeal and delay" flying at this point. Though one never goes broke overestimating McConnell's legislative wizardry, or the insanity of the GOP caucus, so who knows. Always possible that putting up a 'repeal and delay' vote is his way to put an end to the debate, one way or another.

I do worry about a moderate reviving the healthcare bill by proposing some 'compromise' amendment which makes the bill only 20% - 30% less horrible.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:21 am

Well, at least these shirts haven't become irrelevant yet:

https://cottonbureau.com/products/repea ... k-yourself

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:12 pm

Zaxxon · Post by **Zaxxon** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:16 pm

All I know is that former Whip Frank Underwood must be rolling his eyes and shaking his head vigorously in a horizontal direction while watching this debacle repeat over and over.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:34 pm

El Guapo wrote: Though one never goes broke overestimating McConnell's legislative wizardry, or the insanity of the GOP caucus, so who knows.

Let's keep things in perspective a bit - the Republican-led McConnell / Ryan machine is the most unproductive Congress in 164 years.

Now, okay, technically the Ryan-McConnell 115th Congress is so far actually a bit more active than recent Congresses, if you measure by the 43 laws that President Trump has adorned with his garish signature. Obama was at 40 at this point in 2009. George W. Bush had signed even fewer midway through 2001. But sheer number is not the best way to think about how much is being achieved. As The Washington Post's Philip Bump pointed out, a majority of the bills signed by Trump thus far have been one page long, meaning many are just symbolic or ceremonial.

More:

The result, regardless, is that this Congress is going to be historically unproductive. How can I be so sure of this? One measure of what Congress is likely to do the rest of the year is to look at bills that have already passed the House but are awaiting action in the Senate. There are 238 of them. Amazingly, GovTrack gives only 13 a better than 50 percent chance of actually arriving on President Trump's desk in their current form. If that holds up, Trump will have signed just 56 laws by the beginning of the 2018 congressional session. If this tortoise-like pace continues, he will preside over the least productive Congress since Millard Fillmore signed just 74 bills sent to him by the brink-of-war 32nd Congress between 1851 and 1853.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 4:19 pm

El Guapo wrote:

Except that there are 100 senators.

So it looks like the Republicans not only can't replace the ACA, they can't destroy it, either. And unless they actively sabotage it, it's only going to fail in the usual failed states. Obamacare marketplaces just had their most profitable quarter ever.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 4:35 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
El Guapo wrote: Though one never goes broke overestimating McConnell's legislative wizardry, or the insanity of the GOP caucus, so who knows.
Let's keep things in perspective a bit - the Republican-led McConnell / Ryan machine is the most unproductive Congress in 164 years.

Now, okay, technically the Ryan-McConnell 115th Congress is so far actually a bit more active than recent Congresses, if you measure by the 43 laws that President Trump has adorned with his garish signature. Obama was at 40 at this point in 2009. George W. Bush had signed even fewer midway through 2001. But sheer number is not the best way to think about how much is being achieved. As The Washington Post's Philip Bump pointed out, a majority of the bills signed by Trump thus far have been one page long, meaning many are just symbolic or ceremonial.
More:

The result, regardless, is that this Congress is going to be historically unproductive. How can I be so sure of this? One measure of what Congress is likely to do the rest of the year is to look at bills that have already passed the House but are awaiting action in the Senate. There are 238 of them. Amazingly, GovTrack gives only 13 a better than 50 percent chance of actually arriving on President Trump's desk in their current form. If that holds up, Trump will have signed just 56 laws by the beginning of the 2018 congressional session. If this tortoise-like pace continues, he will preside over the least productive Congress since Millard Fillmore signed just 74 bills sent to him by the brink-of-war 32nd Congress between 1851 and 1853.

You were wishing more their agendas were becoming law?

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 5:51 pm

LordMortis wrote:You were wishing more their agendas were becoming law?

Not at all. I'm just thinking maybe McConnell doesn't have the juice that everyone believes - like how Paul Ryan was a "policy wonk" before Trump was elected. I'm guessing the greatest achievement will be that he held a Supreme Court seat open. While I'm hoping he'll forever be remembered as a shitbird for this healthcare nonsense, I'm guessing in time the Supreme Court ridiculousness will be his legacy.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:28 pm

I think McConnell will be remembered for projecting power well beyond his 'legislative' reach. The Supreme Court nomination was probably biggest impact but he obstructed Obama appointments to the District Circuits very effectively for years maintaining a Republican lean in the Federal judiciary. He also forced Obama to use his pen to make changes enabling a future Republican President to rollback [edit]significant portions[/edit] of his legacy. He generally has also maintained party discipline very well. The healthcare debacle was hoisted on him against his will really and it was an uphill battle from the beginning; still he almost pulled it off with his obfuscation bullshit. Paul Ryan wishes he was 10% as effective as McConnell.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 8:55 am

I think McConnell will be forgotten within less than a decade after he dies. He won't even have an jeopardy questions about him. The good news about that, is that means his shameless power grab shouldn't be too powerful or long lasting... Unless shit really changes under this administration and Congress... Then he'll be remembered for being the PoS he is. He'll be part of a triad with Trump as the figurehead and Ryan on the other side.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:08 am

Can someone translate this?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:21 am

Is there an Idiot Whisperer in the house?

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:24 am

I dunno, "The Dems scream death as OCare dies" is some of the best writing he's every done. It's almost poetic.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:34 am

OCare?

Covenant72 · Post by **Covenant72** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:46 am

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:47 am

Smoove_B wrote:Can someone translate this?

That would be an awfully short discussion. When the only positive is that it doesn't have Obama's name attached, that doesn't get you very far.

Ralph-Wiggum · Post by **Ralph-Wiggum** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 11:33 am

Maybe Trump listens to NPR? One of the political commentators yesterday was talking about how Trump and the Repubs never said what was good about their bill, just what was terrible about Obamacare. Also, he has a lunch with Senate Repubs today, so maybe that'll make the bill all better?

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 11:36 am

Skinypupy wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:Can someone translate this?

That would be an awfully short discussion. When the only positive is that it doesn't have Obama's name attached, that doesn't get you very far.

It will reduce the burden of subsidies on Cadillac plans and ultimately feed the promised tax cuts to the top annual income earners of $250,000 or more on a progressive decrease, I think. It will also allow people to opt out without tax penalties, won't it?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 11:39 am

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:Maybe Trump listens to NPR? One of the political commentators yesterday was talking about how Trump and the Repubs never said what was good about their bill, just what was terrible about Obamacare.

My God, the "I know you are, but what am I" defense.

Truly, Trump is the Moriarty of Twitter.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:34 pm

El Guapo wrote:

Well, it isn't as impressive as the Dems 48-0

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:11 pm

Now he's telling them they shouldn't leave town until they pass something. Maybe, just maybe they should take their time and work with the other side? Nah that's crazy...

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:47 pm

https://twitter.com/NBCPolitics/status/ ... 4006109184

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:49 pm

Well nothing happened the last time he made threats via Twitter so why should this be any different. This vote is absolutely a purity test. Mitch knows its DOA but if he can use the vote to allow the hardline senators that have been harping on this for years, promising their constituents they'd do something to vote YES, then so be it. And if they vote NO? Well, then we'll get someone ever more conservative elected next time.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:26 pm

Trump doesn't understand probability -- Heller is probably 80% toast if he doesn't defect and 60% toast if he does defect. The math is pretty simple here.

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:21 pm

The CBO is out with its analysis of a straight repeal of the ACA. Compared to current law, 17 million more uninsured next year, 32 million by 2026; premiums increase 25% by next year and by 50% by 2026.

link

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:27 pm

Let me help. Fake news. The CBO is inaccurate. The ACA invites Satan into our hearts.