The Senate blocked the latest attempt by the GOP to repeal Obamacare in a midnight vote, stalling one of President Trump’s main campaign promises.
Who were the three GOP lawmakers who blocked the bill? Never Trumper Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John McCain of Arizona in a 49-51 vote. After McCain gave his thumbs down and said ‘no’, gasps could be heard from the Democrat side of the aisle (McCain’s friends).
CNBC reports:
The Senate blocked the latest Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare in a dramatic floor vote early Friday morning, yet again stalling — for now — the key campaign goal that eludes the GOP six months into the Trump administration.
Three GOP votes — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John McCain of Arizona — sank the measure in a 49-51 vote. McCain, who recently returned to the Senate after getting diagnosed with brain cancer, cast his “no” vote to audible gasps on the chamber’s floor, according to reporters there.
Senate Republicans released the plan late Thursday just hours before voting on an amendment to take up the bill.
Here are the provisions in the so-called skinny repeal bill, which the GOP titled the Health Care Freedom Act:
- It would repeal the individual mandate, which is the requirement that most Americans buy insurance or pay a penalty. The provision was intended to help control costs by encouraging younger, healthier people to enter the market. Republicans have said it forced people to buy plans they did not want.
- The bill would roll back the employer mandate, a similar provision that says large employers have to provide insurance for their workers.
- The plan would expand a program that allows states to waive certain provisions under Obamacare.
- It would suspend the medical device tax.
- The proposal would increase contribution limits for tax-free health savings accounts.
- It would defund women’s health provider Planned Parenthood for one year.
President Trump has repeatedly urged lawmakers to come together to get a functioning healthcare system in place since Obamacare is failing.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Republicans do not want to repeal Obamacare. They have had SEVERAL years to come up with a solid plan, yet fail at every chance.
As TGP previously reported, in a stunning admission, former Minority Whip Eric Cantor now admits the GOP was never serious about repealing the healthcare bill. It was all a charade.
He (Cantor) says he wasn’t the only one aware of the charade: “We sort of all got what was going on, that there was this disconnect in terms of communication, because no one wanted to take the time out in the general public to even think about ‘Wait a minute—that can’t happen.’ ” But, he adds, “if you’ve got that anger working for you, you’re gonna let it be.”
Cantor isn’t the only one who believes repealing Obamacare is a charade. The Gateway Pundit reported in the past week, former Speaker Boehner said the prospects of repealing Obamacare were non-existent.
Former House Speaker, John Boehner said the GOP won’t be able to repeal and replace Obamacare at a closed-door tradeshow in Las Vegas, NV Friday.
John Boehner told a private crowd that Obamacare will never be repealed or replaced by the GOP because Americans and state officials are used to it in, a video obtained by The Washington Post.
Boehner also warned that Republicans will get annihilated in 2018 midterm elections if they fail to pass healthcare and tax legislation.
“Here we are, seven months into this year, and yet they’ve not passed this bill. Now, they’re never…they’re not going to repeal and replace Obamacare. It’s been around too long. And the American people have gotten accustomed to it. Governors have gotten accustomed to this Medicaid expansion, and so trying to pull it back is really not going to work.”
Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has called for the Trump administration to end Congressional exemption of Obamacare. This may be the ONLY way for Congress to actually get anything done–if it actually affected their own lives!
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch requested the Trump administration stop members of Congress and their staff from unlawfully purchasing, with taxpayer subsidies, health insurance through the District of Columbia’s small business exchange. The Judicial Watch request was made on June 14, 2017, to the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of a process set out by the Department of Health and Human Services to reform the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare.
President of Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton had this to say about the frauds in Congress:
“Congress, through fraud, is violating Obamacare to get taxpayers to pay for its health insurance. If the Trump administration required Congress to follow the law, taxpayers would be saving money, pure and simple. We hope the Trump administration will end this clear violation of law by Congress.”
source https://capitalisthq.com/breaking-senate-blocks-gop-health-bill-in-midnight-vote/
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