Expect Republicans To Repeal Obamacare SOON

THE BATTLE TO DESTROY THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS ABOUT TO
BEGIN AGAIN.
SENATE REPUBLICANS HAD THEIR RECESS, THEY ARE NOW
BACK, AND IT'S EXPECTED THAT BY TOMORROW WE WILL HAVE THE NEW
VERSION OF THE SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL WITH NEW CONCESSIONS
DESIGNED TO TRY TO GET IT TO THE 50 VOTES THEY NEED TO EVENTUALLY
HAVE THE VICE PRESIDENT TO BREAK THE TIE AND HAVE BECOME LAW,
THEREBY REPEALING AND REPLACING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
WE HAVE
MCCONNELL PREDICTING THE TIMELINE, YOU WILL SEE THAT
IN THIS CLIP.
THE NEWS OF THE DAY IS THAT, AS I THINK YOU ALREADY KNOW, WE
WILL BE ON HEALTHCARE NEXT WEEK.
WE WILL BE LAYING OUT A REVISED
VERSION OF THE REPEAL AND REPLACE EFFORT, THE TEXT OF
THAT, ON THURSDAY MORNING.
WE HOPE TO HAVE A CBO SCORE BY THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK,
AND A MOTION TO PROCEED TO THAT BILL NEXT WEEK.
WE WOULD DO HEALTHCARE NEXT WEEK, AND THE
RECONCILIATION PROCESS.
YOU GET TO THE END, THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE AS A RESULT OF
EXHAUSTION, BUT YOU CAN GET TO THE END.
THEY ARE SO EXHAUSTED, THEY HAVE TO WORK FOR A LITTLE BIT
LONGER THAN EXPECTED.
THEY WERE PLANNING TO COME BACK FROM THE
FOURTH OF JULY VACATION, YOU ARE THINKING, FOURTH OF JULY
VACATION?
YES, THERE'S IS MUCH LONGER THAN OURS.
SO THEY JUST
NEXT WEEK WILL COME BACK FROM IT, OR THEY CAME BACK TO IT
RECENTLY, BUT IT WAS MORE THAN A WEEK LONG, AND NOW THEY WILL GO
ON ANOTHER FIVE OR SIX WEEK VACATION -- BUT NOW THEY MIGHT
HAVE TO COME BACK AND ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES, WORK AN ENTIRE
THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
A LITTLE BIT OF CREDIT TO THEM, IF THESE
PLANS GO INTO EFFECT THEY ARE GOING TO PUT SOME OF THE TAX
CUTS BACK.
MEANING THEY WERE GOING TO DO THESE GIANT TAX
CUTS, NOW AT LEAST SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO GO BACK IN FOR
REVENUE, THAT'S 3.8% TAX ON INVESTMENT INCOME, THAT WAS IN
OBAMACARE, THAT MIGHT REMAIN TO GET SOME OF THOSE VOTERS, AND A
.9% MEDICARE PAYROLL TAX ON WAGES AND SELF IMPLEMENT INCOME
MIGHT ALSO STAY IN, SO THAT THERE IS ACTUALLY SOME REVENUE
IN THIS BILL.
LET'S BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE DETAILS.
THE CONCESSIONS, AS
CENK SAID --
NOT MENTIONED THERE, BUT IT'S BELIEVED AT LEAST ONE VERSION WE
WILL SEE WILL INCLUDE MORE MONEY TO HELP DEAL WITH OPIOID
EPIDEMICS ACROSS AMERICA, IT COULD GO FROM $2 BILLION IN THIS
FUNDS TO $48 BILLION, WHICH AGAIN IS NOT AS MUCH AS IS
EXPECTED TO BE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT IT'S MORE
FUNDING AND COULD THEORETICALLY GIVE THEM THE VOTE.
IT IS
EXPECTED THERE WILL BE AT LEAST TWO DRAFT BILLS --
WHAT IS INTERESTING THERE IS THAT THERE COULD BE TWO
DIFFERENT PLANS WHICH HAVE MORE THAN THAT ONE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THEM.
WE WILL HAVE TO BREAK DOWN AND ANALYZE BOTH OF THEM.
BUT
THIS LOOKS LIKE A WAY TO GET LEE AND CRUZ TO SIGN ON, AND THEIR
IDEA BASICALLY INCREASES "FREEDOM" ACROSS AMERICA BY
MAKING IT SO THERE WILL BE AT LEAST ONE PLAN BY AN INSURANCE
CARRIER THAT ACTUALLY PROVIDES COVERAGE, AND THERE WILL BE A
BUNCH OF OTHER GARBAGE PLANS OF THE SORT WE HAD BEFORE THE ACA
THAT YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR, BUT WILL NOT ACTUALLY HELP
YOU IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR LIFE EMERGENCY.
AND THAT IS WHAT THEY
NEED TO SIGN ON, LEE AND CRUZ, AND IT'S EXPECTED THAT'S ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE THERE.
WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE DIFFERENT PLANS, THE REASON IT THE JOKE IS
THAT THEY SAY ONE WILL FOLLOW THE REQUIREMENTS THAT CURRENTLY
EXIST, INCLUDING COVERING PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, AND
OTHERS DON'T HAVE TO.
IF YOU SET IT UP THAT WAY, THE ONE THAT
COVERS PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS WILL BE MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE
IT WILL INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS WHO YOU
KNOW ARE GOING TO GET SICK, TO SOME DEGREE.
AND IF YOU SIGN UP
FOR THE VERSION OF THE ONE THAT COVERS MAINLY HEALTHY PEOPLE AND
YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT ONE WILL BE CHEAPER, BUT WHAT WILL THAT
CREATE?
IT WILL CREATE ALL THE HEALTHY AND YOUNG PEOPLE GOING
TO THAT PLAN, THEREBY LEAVING THE ONE THAT COVERS THE
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS TO BE SUPEREXPENSIVE.
A DE FACTO HIGH RISK POOL OUT OF THE CURRENT PLANS, BASICALLY.
THE MORE EXPENSIVE IT GETS, THE HARDER IT WILL BE FOR PEOPLE
TO AFFORD THAT PLAN, AND FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD
THE SUBSIDIES FOR THAT PLAN, SO THAT CREATES WHAT THEY CALL A
DEATH SPIRAL.
WHICH THEN CREATES A LITERAL DEATH SPIRAL FOR
PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.
BUT FOR CRUZ AND HIS
ALLIES IT'S A WIN/WIN.
ONE, THEY DO THE REPUBLICAN PLAN, WHICH IS
IF YOU ARE ALREADY IN GOOD SHAPE, WE WILL GIVE YOU MORE.
THINGS WILL BE EVEN BETTER FOR YOU.
GOD HELP YOU IF YOU'VE GOT
ANY KIND OF CONDITION.
YOU HAD A SETBACK IN YOUR LIFE?
WE ARE
GOING TO CRACK YOUR BACK, AND WE WILL BE DONE WITH YOU.
EVERY MAN
FOR HIMSELF.
IF YOU ARE ALREADY WELL-OFF, GREAT.
IF YOU ARE NOT,
YOU ARE IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE.
THE SECOND ADVANTAGE IS THEY
THEN TURN AROUND AND WHEN THE PLAN WITH THE PRE-EXISTING
CONDITIONS THAT WAS ORIGINALLY MODELED ON OBAMACARE STARTS ITS
DEATH SPIRAL, THEN CRUZ WILL TURN AROUND AND GO, YOU SEE
THAT?
WE TOLD YOU OBAMACARE WAS NEVER GOING TO WORK.
WE LEFT
THE MAIN PART OF IT INTACT, BUT OTHER PEOPLE WANTED THE OTHER
INSURANCE.
SO NOW THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY COVERS PEOPLE, IT'S NOT
AFFORDABLE.
WE TOLD YOU OBAMACARE WAS TERRIBLE.
SO THEN
THEY KILL IT ENTIRELY, AND IF YOU'VE GOT A PRE-EXISTING
CONDITION, GOD HELP YOU BECAUSE HE'S THE ONLY ONE LEFT.
THAT'S JUST THE LATEST ACT OF SABOTAGE.
OVER THE PAST EIGHT
YEARS UNDER OBAMA THERE WERE MULTIPLE WAYS THAT THEY
EFFECTIVELY SABOTAGED THE FUTURE OF THE ACA, IT'S NOT IN THE BAD
SHAPE THAT THEY IMPLIED IT IS, THE CBO REPORT MADE THAT CLEAR,
BUT IT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO KEEP PRICES DOWN AND THINGS LIKE
THAT.
SOME PEOPLE JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, INCLUDING JOHN MCCAIN,
WERE SAYING THAT THE BILL IS EFFECTIVELY DEAD.
THEY WERE SO
SURE THAT IT WOULDN'T PASS.
I THINK THAT'S CRAZY TO GET
PRESUMPTUOUS ABOUT THAT.
BUT IT WILL STILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR
MCCONNELL TO COME UP WITH ONE BILL THAT WILL SATISFY ALL THE
DIFFERENT CONCERNS THAT THESE VARIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATORS
HALF.
WE WANT TO SHOW YOU COMPARISONS OF ISSUES ON PEOPLE
ON DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE ISSUE TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW
COMPLICATED IT MIGHT BE.
THIS FIRST ONE, IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH
REGULATION THERE SHOULD BE ON PLANS IN TERMS OF PRE-EXISTING
CONDITIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TAKE
AWAY THOSE REGULATIONS, AND YOU SEE ON THE LEFT MIKE LEE AND TED
CRUZ PARTICULARLY WANT ALL THESE PLANS THAT DON'T PROTECT ALL THE
ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE BENEFITS AND HAVE CAPS AND DON'T ALLOW
FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, THEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO WON'T
VOTE FOR A BILL BUT DON'T HAVE THOSE PROTECTIONS.
MOVING ONTO
THE NEXT ONE, YOU SEE MEDICAID FUNDING, OBVIOUSLY THE BILL, AS
WE PREVIEWED, HAS HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CUTS TO
MEDICAID, AND THERE YOU SEE THE PEOPLE WHO WANT AN EXPANSION TO
MEDICAID OR MAINTENANCE OF WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE, THAT'S QUITE
A FEW SENATORS THERE.
AND IN THE FINAL ONE YOU WILL SEE SOME
DIFFERENCES ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND TAX CREDITS, THERE
ARE OTHER NAMES YOU COULD ADD AS WELL, TED CRUZ IS COMPLAINING
ABOUT THE AMOUNT THAT WILL STILL BE THERE FOR SUBSIDIES.
THESE
ARE BIG ISSUES FOR MCCONNELL AND REPUBLICANS TO PUSH THROUGH, BUT
HARDLY IMPOSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN THEORETICALLY GENERATE
A FEW HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS TO TOSS INTO
WHATEVER THEY NEED TO BUY PEOPLE OFF.
THE PEOPLE WHO KEPT SAYING IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, IT'S DEAD, THE
PUBLICANS WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER -- MY MAIN
RESPONSE IS, COME ON.
COME ON, COME ON.
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE
HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS BEFORE YOU LEARN?
THIS IS A PARTICULAR
DANCE THEY GO THROUGH.
WHEN THE BILL IS FIRST INTRODUCED YOU
HAVE THE MOST CONSERVATIVE GUYS IN THE SENATE, CRUZ, ETC., TO
COME OUT AND GO, I CAN'T. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS, I NEED A LOT MORE
CONCESSIONS.
THEN YOU WILL HAVE A COUPLE OF MODERATES WHO SAY
NO, I CAN'T SIGN ON, I NEED SOME CONCESSIONS TOO.
SOMETIMES THEY
NEED IT, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. EVERYONE WILL GO OH MY GOD,
WHEEZY, TAKE ME NOW -- IT'S NOT WHEEZY.
THAT'S A SANFORD AND SON
REFERENCE WITH THE WRONG NAME.
WE WILL NEVER GET THIS DONE.
AND
THEN LO AND BEHOLD THEY GET TOGETHER AN AFTER THE HAGGLING,
CONSERVATIVES WILL GET MORE THAN WHAT THE MODERATES GET, MOST OF
THE TIME.
IN THIS CASE, THE TEA LEAVES SEEM TO BE LIKE THE
MODERATES, SUCH AS THEY ARE, WILL GET MORE THAN THE
CONSERVATIVES.
WE WILL SEE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, DO THEY WANT
TO KILL OBAMACARE?
YES.
TO THEIR DONORS WANT IT KILLED SO THEY
CAN MAINLY GET THEIR TAX CUTS BACK, THE MAJORITY OF THE TAX
CUTS WILL BE RETURNED TO THEM?
YES.
THEY WILL DO AS THEIR
DONORS COMMAND.
I KIND OF HATE THE SOAP OPERA OF IT.
PLEASE
SPARE ME ALL THE THINGS ABOUT, OH THEY CAN'T, OH MY GOD -- AS
IF THEY HAVE HONEST PRINCIPLES AND THEY ARE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE
OVER PRINCIPLES.
NO, THEIR DONORS ARE NEGOTIATING AN
OVERALL THEY ARE ALL GOING TO MAKE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS BY REPEALING OBAMACARE, SO VERY LIKELY THEY WILL.
MAYBE YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE SENATE, I THINK IT'S A BIG SHAM
BECAUSE TRUMP ALREADY SAID HE WON'T VOTE FOR A BILL THAT
DOESN'T HAVE HEART AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE COVERED.
SO, ALL THE
SENATE STUFF, WHAT ARE WE WASTING OUR TIME FOR?
THE CBO
WILL GET BOTH VERSIONS OF THE BILL, AND WHAT I THINK IS A
LITTLE BIT SCARY -- YOU ALLUDED TO SOME OF THE TAX CUTS THEY
MIGHT THEORETICALLY KEEP IN, A FEW OF THE SMALLER ONES, OTHERS
THEY MIGHT KEEP FOR A FEW YEARS, AND WHAT THAT SEEMS DESIGNED TO
DO IS EFFECTIVELY TREAT PEOPLE WITH THE CBO ESTIMATE.
BECAUSE
THE CBO ESTIMATE WILL NOW HAVE FIVE YEARS OF THE TEXAS STILL
BEING THERE, THAT WILL CHANGE THE NUMBERS QUITE A BIT, MAKE IT
LOOK BETTER FINANCIALLY, BUT THOSE TAXES WILL STILL GO AWAY
EVENTUALLY.
WE ARE SIMPLY POSTPONING THE HORRIFIC OUTCOME
WE SAW IN THE EARLIER VERSION OF THE CBO REPORT.
BUT IT MIGHT FOR
SOME PEOPLE IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND SOME TRUMP SUPPORTERS
INTO SUPPORTING THIS BILL, WHICH IS AGAIN ONE OF THE LEAST
POPULAR PIECES OF LEGISLATION FOR THE LAST THREE DECADES.

Expect Republicans To Repeal Obamacare SOON

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