Score another win for the resistance, with special thanks to the disability rights group ADAPT for their fearless opposition to the zombie “Trumpcare” bill. Protesters disrupt Senate health-care hearing, 181 arrested:
The Senate Finance Committee was forced to briefly delay its hearing on the Republican health-care bill on Monday after police were called in to remove loud protesters, many of whom were representing the disability rights group ADAPT. The demonstrators chanted “no cuts to Medicaid, save our liberty” and “kill the bill, don’t kill me,” and could still be heard in the hallways after they’d been removed from the room.
Growing frustrated with the noise, panel chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) snapped: “If you want a hearing, you better shut up.”
Update: A spokesperson for Capitol Police released a statement Monday night saying a total of 181 protesters were arrested.
This marks the first time in the history of the Senate Finance Committee that any protestor was arrested by Capitol Police.
On Monday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued its preliminary assessment of the zombie “Trumpcare” bill, because it does not have sufficient time to complete a full analysis up against the artificial deadline of September 30 imposed by the Senate’s use of the budget reconciliation rules. CBO finds ‘millions’ will lose coverage from repeal bill:
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected Monday that the last-ditch GOP ObamaCare repeal bill would result in “millions” of people losing coverage.
The agency did not give a specific number given a lack of time to do the analysis before a vote, but said the “direction of the effect is clear.”
CBO said the reduction in coverage would be felt in three areas: in Medicaid, because the bill repeals ObamaCare’s expansion of Medicaid; in private coverage, because the bill repeals subsidies that help people afford it; and because the mandate to have coverage would be repealed.
After the CBO analysis was released, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) told reporters she would vote against the zombie “Trumpcare” bill, providing the third declared vote against the bill along with Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Rand Paul (R-Ky), effectively blocking passage of the bill. Collins said she hoped senators could return to the bipartisan ObamaCare stabilization negotiations that were abruptly cut off by GOP leadership last week.
Sen. Susan Collins is this week’s winner of the “zombie kill of the week” award.
With the collapse of support for the zombie “Trumpcare” bill, Senate GOP leadership announced today that the Senate will not even hold a vote on the zombie “Trumpcare” bill to avoid the visual spectacle of another humiliating defeat. Sorry, it’s still a humiliating defeat. Senate won’t vote on ObamaCare repeal bill:
Senate Republicans have decided to not vote on their latest ObamaCare repeal legislation, signaling a collapse in their last-ditch effort to kill off President Obama’s signature law.
“We don’t have the votes so it’s probably best we don’t do the vote,” said Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) after the GOP conference met at its regular weekly luncheon.
* * *
“We don’t have the votes,” Cassidy acknowledged after meeting with his colleagues on Tuesday for more than an hour.
“We made the decision since we don’t have the votes, we’re going to postpone it,” he added, expressing disappointment.
Graham said the health care debate will resume after Congress tries to move a tax reform package and expressed confidence his bill will eventually muster 50 votes.
“It’s not if, only a matter of when,” he said, adding that with more “attention” and “time,” the bill could eventually become law.
In the meantime, Graham and Cassidy plan to tour the country to build support.
“We’re going to take our show on the road,” Graham said.
What’s the working title for your “show,” cracker? “Zombie: Resurrection“?
Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) were in the midst of negotiations on a bipartisan bill to stabilize the insurance markets by addressing the Cost Sharing Reductions (CSRs) to insurance companies until last week. This is the bill that Congress should be focusing its time and efforts on, and send Little Lindsey Graham back to his fainting couch.
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Trump tweeting on Zombiecare today. I need an interpreter.
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump 12h12 hours ago
We will have the votes for Healthcare but not for the reconciliation deadline of Friday, after which we need 60. Get rid of Filibuster Rule!
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump 12h12 hours ago
With one Yes vote in hospital & very positive signs from Alaska and two others (McCain is out), we have the HCare Vote, but not for Friday!
Wait till 50% of our descendants are dying from contagious diseases and lifespans are shrinking by decades. They will curse the ground that you and the policymakers you support stand on. Bureaucracies don’t evolve, they devolve.
Coming soon to a theater near you, a new sci-fi thriller about a dystopian future where everyone has health care!
Only from the mind of John Huppenthal!
BTW, FalconZero, you do know it’s the GOP that can’t pass repeal, right? You are directing your mentally unstable anger at your own inept party, right?
Because with the White House, Congress, and the Senate, all under GOP control, you can’t blame anyone else.
Your party is a loser, and your POTUS is the biggest loser of them all.
Figuratively and literally.
“BTW, FalconZero, you do know it’s the GOP that can’t pass repeal, right?”
It can also be said that the GOP is also the party that is keeping the ACA alive. Like many things, the knife cuts both ways and it just depends on how you choose to look at it, Tom.
“Because with the White House, Congress, and the Senate, all under GOP control, you can’t blame anyone else.”
Who is blaming someone else? The GOP is comprised of independent thinkers who don’t always agree on issues. You should be grateful for that because if they do agree on something, it will happen. In the meantime, enjoy the healthy debate going on inside the GOP. You do enjoy debates, right?
All Americans should have the same health insurance as McConnell, Chao, Ryan, and Price.
McConnell, Chao, Ryan, and Price should be forced to have the same junk insurance they want to impose on everyone else. Perhaps then they’ll wake up and enact the insurance they currently have for all. Oh wait, besides myself, who do I think I’m kidding?
Frances has the GOP in a leg trap camel clutch, she taps out and Wileybud enters the ring to apply a stepover toehold facelock, and the count is given…
One…. two… three… the GOP loses the match! The ACA wins the belt!
And no, I do not watch wrestling, had to look those holds up. But since the GOP elected a member of the WWE Hall of Fame (look it up) as POTUS I thought it would work.
The GOP voted on repealing the ACA what, about 60 times? So, yeah, the WWE analogy is perfect.
The GOP is just as fake as the WWE.
You are bequeathed the Master of Analogies!
He did better with the WWE than he did with the USFL.
And I liked the USFL.
Here’s a little look back at Donald J. Trump, loser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xOhrd5iS9M
“McConnell, Chao, Ryan, and Price should be forced to have the same junk insurance they want to impose on everyone else.”
I have always thought that Congress should be required to live with, and by, the laws and programs they force on everyone else. Instead, they set themselves up with premium health insurance, ridiculously generous retirement plans, and exemptions from most of the laws they pass. It is so screamingly corrupt that it astounding the American people tolerate it.
thank collins, mccain and paul not the resistance what ever that is. your liberal elitist self importance keeps getting in the way of reality. it like the jocks taking a knee. most of them didn’t bother to vote. more voters hated clinton in the wrong places then hated trump in the right places. the so called resistance had better get out and vote in 2018.
Thank those three clowns for finally mustering enough human decency to vote against throwing 20 million people off their health care? I don’t think so. Your “thank you bar” is very low. You dismiss all who resist the horrors of this misguided administration as liberal elitists who are out of touch with reality. They are the very ones who deserve thanks, as do the Democrats and Independents who defeated the latest incarnation of Trumpcare. And don’t forget the work of those in wheel chairs in the hall and the thousands who called their congressmen. Were they just liberal elitists too? Here’s a scenario for you: suppose everyone single one of that handful or so of athletes who did not vote, had voted. Do you think that would have made as much difference as their kneeling and their public protest has made? Those whom you try to stigmatize as “liberal elitist,” also recognize and fight against the social and political injustices of this administration.
your too self important. I saw this during the election with the clintonistas. other factors beside the so called resistance stopped zombie care. stop congratulating yourselves and remember you are a relatively small part in the sceme of things. play your part with out the self congratulations. three republican senators stopped it not you. if the three of them had voted the other way what good would your resistance be now! the ball player point was an example of the lack of understanding. I could have used the example of the snowflakes who posted how they couldn’t understand how clinton lost because they voted for her on the internet as did their friends on face book.
So let’s respond by calling each other names? No thanks. I prefer sticking to facts. The fact is that every Democratic senator and every Independent senator voted against that monstrosity, so about 48 to 0. Every Republican except for 3 voted to destroy Obamacare including children’s health care, so about 49 to 3. It seems to me that every Democrat and Independent—even those horrid liberal elitists—deserves credit, not just the three whom you choose. You would even thank Ran Paul who thinks the bill did not go far enough and wants something more apocalyptic, something that would hurt more of the middle and working classes? No thanks from here for him, but again, I thank all those who called their congress people and those who protested, especially those in wheelchairs in the hallways—part of the resistance, elitist or not. Oh, yeah, and Jimmy Kimmel, too. I missed your point about the ball players being an example of a “lack of understanding.” I still do. What do they not understand? To me they are using a powerful platform to fight injustice. I congratulate them.
censored. aka Captain Arizona, wants liberals to be more hardcore, I don’t think he means to name call.
You posts are accurate and thoughtful.
I’d add that there are two truly great moments in late night TV. David Letterman, on his shows return after 9/11, and Jimmy Kimmel, talking about how fortunate his son is to be born rich, and how he wants all parents to have the same healthcare for their children as his has.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEWz8F5sfpY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmWWoMcGmo0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYR3dorshwA
For folks not familiar with ADAPT, http://adapt.org
They’re badass and mean business.
The two videos are powerful and seeing Kimmel describe his pain was truly moving. I’ll never understand how people can be against health care. Thanks for putting them up. I always enjoy all the comments on this blog but especially your posts and the repartee you and Liza deliver. And, of course, the hard work of AZBM and the rest of the contributors is invaluable in keeping me informed.