115th United States Congress

[archibaldcrane]

No idea how they'd get 60 votes for that.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Byrthnoth]

Is there any official judgment yet about whether or not republicans can use reconciliation to pass AHCA?

[Fiye]

Once we have a CBO score I'm sure we'll see.

Probably yes

[Talint]

Dem senator open to repealing, replacing ObamaCare

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said Thursday that he is open to repealing and replacing ObamaCare even as his party's leadership demands that Republicans drop their effort to nix President Obama's signature healthcare law.

"It needs to be improved. It hasn't been improved. We can either work to improve that or repeal it and replace with something better. I'm open to either one," Tester, who is up for reelection in a state won by President Trump, told Fox News.

Tester doesn't support a House GOP bill that passed on Thursday, but also said he doesn't think lawmakers did enough to try to fix the Affordable Care Act since it was passed in 2010.

[tyven]

Tester's comm director needs to tighten things up. That message is not wrong but his choice of words are. Red state dems are such a pain in the ass but we have to hold on to them. Especially since I think McCaskill is gonna get her clock cleaned by Wagner in Missouri

[Talint]

I've always liked Tester too. This is such a weird and dumb comment from him.

And McCaskill has 9 lives. She's not going anywhere.

[Xajii]

I've always liked Tester too. This is such a weird and dumb comment from him.

And McCaskill has 9 lives. She's not going anywhere.

I dont think its weird or dumb at all. He's 100% right. Obamacare is fucked. It was just a bad time to say it.

[tyven]

I dont think its weird or dumb at all. He's 100% right. Obamacare is fucked. It was just a bad time to say it.

the message was right the language was wrong. He needed Frank Luntz!

[Xajii]

the message was right the language was wrong. He needed Frank Luntz!

Lol. He needs a new party. Hard to have a good message when the message from the top is "I oppose single payer and I sing as a horrible bill passes the House because I have a probably false notion that this will benefit me and my friends personally."

[Fiye]

Like lol I don't even know what the fuck the DNC is gonna do if Single Payer isn't the message. Like hey we got a bunch of people co-sponsoring a single payer bill but hey you know we don't really want this good thing.

[Deftscythe]

Rep. Chris Collins of NY admits he didn't read the bill he voted for

[ThreeOneLead]

I think it's a bit reductive and revisionist to judge what Hillary and the DNC should have done differently in retrospect at this point.

No it isn't.

[archibaldcrane]

Like lol I don't even know what the fuck the DNC is gonna do if Single Payer isn't the message. Like hey we got a bunch of people co-sponsoring a single payer bill but hey you know we don't really want this good thing.

Could always push for a public option, like Pelosi got passed through the House in 2010 before it died in the Senate. The benefit there is that it doesn't require an enormous new source of funding like single-payer does.

[Byrthnoth]

I really do think a public option is going to be the easiest way to improve our healthcare system.

[archibaldcrane]

I really do think a public option is going to be the easiest way to improve our healthcare system.

It's also a good start towards single-payer if well-run, because if the government can demonstrate that their healthcare option is superior to those offered in the private market, it will gain popularity.

You'd think the overwhelming success and popularity of medicare would already make that argument, but people don't get on that sweet sweet medicare teat until they are old.

[Fiye]

Really hope they start thumping that shit then. Make it a goal for 2018 and 2020

[Gredival]

Tester's comm director needs to tighten things up. That message is not wrong but his choice of words are. Red state dems are such a pain in the ass but we have to hold on to them. Especially since I think McCaskill is gonna get her clock cleaned by Wagner in Missouri

Someone just needs to feed her another pet narrative like the "Obamaphone" for her to prove her tough fiscally responsible conservative roots

(trying to work with her on telecomm issues during this was a nightmare)

[archibaldcrane]

Ok so, the Senate is working, "from scratch" on a new repeal/replace bill.

I have a hard time imagining that said bill will not involve an elimination of 100% of the taxes implemented under the ACA, right? And given that those 800 billion+ in taxes are getting cut, they'll have to either cut 800 billion+ in spending or they'll have to deficit-finance the tax cuts. And given that the ACA spending is almost entirely in the medicaid expansion and insurance exchange subsidies,

...yeah I don't see how the "concerned" Republican Senators regarding Medicaid cuts have any hope of not eating shit if they're going to pass this bill.

[Fiye]

Then wtf was that shit they sent to obama's desk?

[archibaldcrane]

Then wtf was that shit they sent to obama's desk?

Political theater / waste of time