McConnell intends to replace ‘Obamacare’ without Democrats
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., spoke to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, today, as Republicans prepared to use their majority to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt.
WASHINGTON >> Republicans will repeal and replace the health care law and overhaul the tax code without Democratic help or votes, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said today.
“It’s clear that in the early months it’s going to be a Republicans-only exercise,” the Kentucky senator said at a news conference before lawmakers left for a weeklong President’s Day recess. “We don’t expect any Democratic cooperation on the replacement of Obamacare, we don’t expect any Democratic cooperation on tax reform.”
McConnell has condemned Democrats for passing Obamacare in the first place, in 2010, without any Republican votes, claiming the partisan exercise set the law up to fail. “The mess to come was inevitable,” McConnell wrote in his memoir last year.
But now he’s promising the same approach himself, in a sign that the partisanship and polarization dividing the country and Congress under President Donald Trump will not end anytime soon.
“Clearly this is not one of those bipartisan ‘Kumbaya’ moments, and so we, as Republicans, expect that both of those issues will be — which are very big issues — will have to be tackled Republican-only,” McConnell said.
A strictly partisan approach on major legislation is a departure in the Senate, where most significant bills require involvement by both parties. Republicans plan to use a parliamentary maneuver to get health care and tax legislation through the narrowly divided Senate as part of a budget bill that requires only a simple majority to pass and can’t be blocked by Democrats.
But McConnell said the polarization in Congress is Democrats’ fault because they haven’t come to terms with the fact that Trump won the election.
“I’m hopeful that, as I said earlier, when the fever breaks, that maybe we’ll be able to move on,” said McConnell, in a turn of phrase that former President Barack Obama sometimes used to express hope that opposition from the tea party right might recede, which it never did.
McConnell made his comments as the Senate confirmed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. It was the 14th Senate vote to approve Cabinet and Cabinet-level nominations by Trump, most of them pushed through on nearly party-line votes over angry Democratic protests.
“It is the worst Cabinet, I think, in the history of America, certainly in my lifetime,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York fumed ahead of the vote. “A swamp Cabinet, billionaires, bankers.”
But Democrats have been able to do little to stop the confirmations, though they have slowed the process to a crawl, and one Trump nominee, Andy Puzder, withdrew himself from contention for labor secretary, an outcome Democrats claimed as a victory.
Democrats may be similarly powerless to stop Republicans from repealing and replacing Obama’s health care law and overhauling the tax code, but on those issues, divisions within the GOP already threaten to derail the process. Key Senate Republicans have rejected the House GOP approach to paying for the tax overhaul, while important details are missing that could easily derail the House GOP health care plan, such as how much it will cost.
Overall, with the White House distracted and lurching from one crisis to another, Republicans lament they have little to show for their efforts at a point when Obama had already claimed major legislative accomplishments as his administration ended its first month.
“We’re three weeks into a new administration, and we’re not getting a hell of a lot done,” Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, said earlier this week.
91 responses to “McConnell intends to replace ‘Obamacare’ without Democrats”
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“It is the worst Cabinet, I think, in the history of America, certainly in my lifetime,”
By this he means that the people were chosen because they know what they what they are doing, as opposed to satisfying fabricated political correctness criteria.
I think it is probably the most competent cabinet in the history of America
IRT Cricket_Amos, fully agree with your post. When Sen. Schumer is the one quoted as saying, “It is the worst cabinet, I think, in American history, certainly in my time” all is okay with the Trump Administration. Imua.
I 3rd that!
I fourth that !
What he meant was that they havent done squat yet. And 4 years will be squandered. At the end, billionaires will be trillionaires s and middle class (trumpies) will be poor class.
Meet the new swamp ten times as big and deep as the old swamp. lol What fools the republicans are to make onflicts of interest a prerequiste for service. Enjoy. lol
Certainly shows what hypocrites Republicans are….
They certainly are. I am looking forward to the report that will soon be released on the latest nominee that was confirmed. I would have waited until I saw what was in that report.
Here go the Kool-Aid drinkers! Sound-off you two! It’s all you do anyhow.
The democrats passed the ACA without the Republicans, so its only fitting that it is replaced by the Republicans, at least it will be read first.
irt cricket..step aside the adults are now in charge..
aloha! imua trump!
Schumer is so right: we are all embarrassed with the lack of quality in the cabinet. Trump wanted a weak, inexperienced dangerous cabinet to match these qualities in himself.
Sen Schmuck hasn’t been right anytime in his life. He is on the losing side and it hasn’t sunk in. No wonder allie cat likes him.
I don’t think the cabinet is so weak as it is dominate by conflicts of interests. The new SOS was the past leader of Exxon which had most of their development rights in Russia, and then Obama placed sanctions on Russia. Think of all the profit that Exon will lose if these remain in place. Maybe I should buy some Exxon stock. lol
Normally, to make an assessment of anything, there is usually a pool of information to draw from. Based on your analysis of a MONTH, you’ve determined this is the worst cabinet?
You could also use the same type of limited information in determining next year’s super bowl winners.
Stop complaining and see what happens-I recommend giving the cabinet at least time to get into their offices and begin their jobs. Sheesh!!!
Allie, your comment makes me laugh. Trump’s cabinet is probably the most experienced ever. You’ll see.
Schumer and Polosie will do all they can to get Trump a secomd term because they are morons. The partisanship and polarization started under the Obama administration. Liberal bias news reporting continues. Trump is draining the swamp of liberals. He has accomplished more in three weeks than Obama did in his two terms. Obama was destroying the country. The big question is when will the media start reporting the news fairly.
It’s time for Schumer to hang it up.
Obamadon’tcare is a divisive plan that the corrupt Democrats forced down the throats of Americans using a rule that usually is not used to pass policy through Congress. Not a single Republican supported the bill, and the Democrats knew this would lead to contention. After the implementation of Obamadon’tcare started to lead down the path of failure, the biased press and the Democrats tried to sign up as many people as possible, unfortunately most of the sign ups were for Medicaid, and not the healthy young Millennials that were supposed to sign up or be penalized. Now the Republicans must repeal this horrible plan or they will be blamed for the “death spiral” that will inevitably occur as more and more American’s opt to no coverage and to take the penalty. Obama and the corrupt Democrats want to divide America and to weaken us further.
@ Maipono
Agree…..and as one Town Hall participant (I remember that wahine) stated…”You have awakened the Sleeping Giant!”
BUT O had the majority so he & his ilk “forced down the throats of Americans” like you said !
EPIC FAIL.
But please don’t ever forget that it was a republican who first proposed it. http://ihpi.umich.edu/news/nixoncare-vs-obamacare-u-m-team-compares-rhetoric-reality-two-health-plans and a republican governor who first implemented it.
So what??? You got anything new.
It doesn;t bother you that Obama care was really a republican inventon? It should as you have nothing to offer. Nixon care was offered as as alternative to a single pay system. The Donald might just go for a single pay sysgtem now. Ironic don’t you think?
IRT Peter (aka Boots), Obamacare is Obamacare and neva was a republican invention.
Kuroiwaj, you may have heard of a past president named Richard Nixon? I am surprised you didn’t know this.
http://ihpi.umich.edu/news/nixoncare-vs-obamacare-u-m-team-compares-rhetoric-reality-two-health-plans
You do remember Nixon don’t you? 🙂
IRT Peter (aka Boots), where is the legislation? Without any proposed legislation, you are spreading “Fake News”, for Nixoncare neva happen. Only talk.
Baloney…. increases have been held down by the additional millions of healthy Americans now paying for universal health care.
Republicans would rather have a wealthy country like ours celebrate people dying in the streets.
But now [McConnell]’s promising the same approach himself
Depends on how you look at it
The Democrats refused to take any suggestions from the Republicans when they constructed Obamacare
Now the Democrats are refusing en mass to cooperate in its replacement or reform
That may change. Part of a not to my representative whose office staff I plan on meeting with next Friday.
I also wanted to inform Tulsi that the Donald has been in favor of a single pay system and if the democrats were smart they would agree with him and tell republicans to follow their leader and just pass it.
http://ijr.com/2016/02/537107-5-times-donald-trump-praised-socialized-healthcare/
Or he may endorse Paul flim-flam man Ryan’s approach of people dying in the streets.
If someone fails to insure themselves then they cannot take advantage of a health insurance company and insure themselves. They can continue old insurance and still get coverage if they get sick. So theoretically people will insure themselves to insure that they don’t die in the streets.
Republicans know that there will always be “deadheads” who don’t insure themselves, so they will put them in a separate pool like Medicaid and the govt will fund it. However, they are proposing about 2.5 billion dollars rather than the 20+ billion that experts consider more accurate. This is all part of the flim-flam of the flim-flam man.
PROOF: OBAMACARE passed with 100% DEMS…0% GOP
RESULT: After 7 years Ocare IS a FAILED law..(AETNA CEO says Ocare is on a “DEATH SPIRAL”)
GOP will Repeal & Replace Ocare…DEMS welcome to participate but that’s not likely to happen. SO GOP will do it alone FOR the American People..GOOD!
Baloney…. millions benefit from Obamacare.
Republicans should be careful about killing Obamacare. Their own constituents will suffer from that.
IRT Wiliki, you make me laugh. Obamacare is being taking apart from it’s roots. Do you recall the IRS suspending the fines on citizens who do not conform to Obamacare rules? That decision alone provides the death of Obamacare.
To be replaced by medicare for all? You realize that the Donald has come out in favor of a single pay system numerous times. As a businessman, why should big business pay for workers health care when it can be shoved on the government?
Just saying.
@ Wiliki
Why did AETNA’s CEO say OBAMASCARE is in a DEATH SPIRAL….you know more than that CEO?
Obamacare unfortunately is not economical for most health insurance companies as is. Without them in the game, Obamacare will eventually fail unless there are some revisions made. It’s an economic certainty but not discussed much in SA and major media.
Wiliki: What percent of the newly insured are able to pay their outrageously high deductibles? No Law should be passed that hasn’t been read by members of Congress.
Democrats should support the Donald and just push for a single pay system.
http://ijr.com/2016/02/537107-5-times-donald-trump-praised-socialized-healthcare/
It is time to replace Nixon care with a single pay system.
HEY boots! Just posted a comment about you…how’s POTUS Trump’s Stock Market working out for you!!??
Not bad. can’t complain. At least this not like G W Bush which saw the makret go down…down…down. It will be interesting to see how long this lasts though.
Welcome back and let the debates continue!
Nope…. note really much change… here’s a take by Krugman.
https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/is-there-a-trump-bubble/
Wiliki, Krugman? Wow. Far out, man. Krugman?
KRUGMAN….NYT…LOL
HELLO advertiser1 wherever you are…what say you?
HELLO el_burrito senorita…you wanted a debate…why not start with your EPIC OBAMACARE!
btw..boots…hope you ok..haven’t seen you lately…are you relishing in the POTUS Trump STOCK Market?
I think the market would have risen if Hillary became president. I am a bit surprised about the rise of the market to date. I have a meeting scheduled with my investment advisor on how long can this continue? I just got back from a cruise from Australia around New Zealand. I am still not very optimistic about the Donald as Voodoo never works.
Boots, No one can tell us how long it will continue. If they could, they would be wealthy and retired. Your best bet is to track the market yourself. Follow index funds. See which sector is performing better than others. Follow your favorite stocks. Study different mutual funds and stay well diversified. Hope you had a great vacation.
I tend to go with historical trends. When republicans get in recessions soon follow. There are a lot of things I tend to agree with the Donald on but unfortunately a lot more I don’t. For example I see no need to build up our Navey to match the number of ships a hundred years ago. One modern day navel ship probably could take out the entire fleet of a hundred years ago.So I view military spending as largely welfare for the rich. I am tired of hearing about how weak our military is. Sadly it is the most deadly machine in the world which really delivers little economic benefit. You cannot eat bombs or use them to renovate your home. Nor can you use a tank to go to work although I remember someone tried to do this a while back. lol
Fact is Eisenhower was right. Military spending will result in less food or education for the poor and will weaken the foundations of the country.
Vacation was pretty nice. We saw that we could probably get a home in Australia or NZ for 500,000 or less.
So I plan on liquidating additonal stocks just to be safe. If the market continues to rise, I will only lose the value of the money taken out while if the market crashes, I will have more of a cushion to live on until the market recovers.
Index funds are OK for some but it’s relying on the basket of stocks which make up a single fund to be positive. Some in the basket win, others lose. For the sophisticated, see which sectors are in favor. as you wisely advise, then select the individual stocks which shows the most potential growth in that sector. With Trump declaring to modernize and buy new weapons for the military, defense oriented companies such as Boeing or Lockheed are no brainers. Health stocks are questionable due to controversy over Obama care and insurance companies. Just do a little study and it’s not too hard. Otherwise. stick to index funds. Good luck.
It’s more a correction than a bubble… check out Krugman.
https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/is-there-a-trump-bubble/
KRUGMAN….NYT….LOL
Hello LoserWaterBoy, actually I don’t have a problem as long as no one loses their medical insurance, which Drumpf claims to support. If they can make it better and cost less, good, I’m willing to wait and see what happens. The difference is that no matter if Drumpf does good or if he fails, you JohnnyToiletKonnyakuHead will always be a loser! LAME!
@ el_burrito señorita
Dang! And you wanted a debate…you no like play on this your side’s biggest blunder in American history
Sorry to inform you but last Nov. 8th you LOST in a YUUUUGE LANDSLIDE.
Accept it…get over it….move on…..then you can stop eating….CROW.
POTUS Trump is #MAGA
It was not a blunder to want everyone to have access to health insurance. Even Drumpf doesn’t want people to lose their insurance. There’s always room to improve things, except to improve you. Your mistake is thinking that anyone against Drumpf is one-size-fits-all, that’s the same mistake Clinton made. Drumpf won but his burden is having a ToiletWaterBoy like you as his supporter cause you always were and always be a LOSER!
@ el_burrito señorita
ahhhhhhhhhh you realize your Crooked Corrupt hiLIARy’s One-Size-Fits-All HC plan was not a good thing? WOW good guess!
How did you feel on Nov 9, 2016? Are you still at a loss? You think it’s possible you can get your sanity back?
I have my sanity, but you never did. To clarify what I was referring to, Clinton’s mistake was in thinking that all Drumpf supporters are the same, you are making the same mistake in thinking that anyone who disagrees with you is the same and it will come back to bite you big time. The big difference between you and me is that I am on the losing side, but you’re a loser and always will be a loser.
@!el_burrito señorita
Whatever you say 🙂
I’m enjoying everyday more so after Nov 8, 2016….for the next 4 years… maybe 8.
Good luck to you & your party.
“But McConnell said the polarization in Congress is Democrats’ fault because they haven’t come to terms with the fact that Trump won the election.
“I’m hopeful that, as I said earlier, when the fever breaks, that maybe we’ll be able to move on,” said McConnell, in a turn of phrase that former President Barack Obama sometimes used to express hope that opposition from the tea party right might recede, which it never did.”
That is all that was said. The rest is spin by the haters being pushed out of their swamp holes.
If the Demoncrats want to get something positive done all they have to do is join in. Unfortunately at the moment they are too busy hating on the winners of the elections.
Much wailing and knashing of teeth. LOL ,
We now know who is the owners of this new plan. Right? After this, BO and HC has nothing to do with what ever comes.
the republicans could just stand back and point fingers as the a’amacare death spiral goes over the cliff and millions of americans suffer..
but they are the adults in the room now and are taking on the responsibility to fix it..and they will..watch
imua potus trump!
deepdiver311 gets it.
POTUS Trump said in an interview the AMERICAN people is the reason why he cannot let OBAMSCARE run it’s course..a DEATH SPIRAL that would eventually hurt them if he doesn’t do anything.
Dai forgot OBAMASCARE IS THEIR FAILURE TO BEGIN WITH! SHORT MEMORY?
Very well said. If my memory is correct Barry Hussein arrogantly pushed his disastrous ACA on America without republican input. Add to that the visceral fear that Trump will start to peel off traditionally loyal democrat voters i.e. blacks, hispanics, union members and others. Barry Hussein has condemned his party to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, their promised land of socialist utopia just within their grasp. That is, until Donald Trump spanked Waldo Clinton and stopped Barry’s fundamental transformation dead in it’s tracks. #MAGA
Baloney… in two years expect the Democrats to make a comeback.
@ Wiliki
WHO will be leading your party?
What a bunch of losers. Both sides of the aisle. Reminds me of neighborhood disputes when we were kids. Grow up and behave as statesmen and stateswomen not tired, old crybabies.
W Williams the Chump should be at the top of your list.
I believe Mr Trump is the winner and you are the loser. Get over it.
@ sarge22
KaBoom!
Yeah right corporal 11 winners go forward and not backwards. His presidency is the Bad News Bears in their senior years. Im really happy that he won the election because it gives me the ultimate high to see him get his butt kicked everyday by the so called fake news.
The key message in the article:
“…..McConnell said the polarization in Congress is Democrats’ fault because they haven’t come to terms with the fact that Trump won the election.”
When the democrats look up the definition of “ELECTION” and realize it’s over, then bipartisanship will once again prevail.
The American public has spoken (voted).
Didn’t happen when the Dems won in 2008 and 2012; the Repubs didn’t look up the definition of election and then bipartisanship “prevailed.” It hasn’t prevailed for ages.
Heard some news about how they’d “reform” the ACA. Involved giving tax credits, but it would be the same credit for everyone, no matter your income. Makes no sense. Also that Medicaid would be scaled back. People need those things. I don’t know why they hate the poor so much. It’s beyond making me angry; it makes me despair. They make life not worth living in America. Before she died, my mother cried that she hadn’t ensured we moved to Canada “When we had the chance.” She feared my life will be awful here in the US as a poor person. It’s awful to see your mother cry. I told her maybe I’d be lucky and wouldn’t live as long as she did. Then we both cried.
Democrats are fighters because we have always had to defend ourselves against bigotry and angry discourse of Republicans.
Nobody’s going to roll over for the sake of any Republican. None have shown a scrap of real leadership.
Republicans are confirming that they don’t want to work with Democrats. They haven’t changed their stripes.
They don’t believe in working together for the people.
Republicans equals gutless and spineless slugs.
IRT Wiliki, hey, the democrats are the minority. If they want to be involved, they can work with the Republicans, who now control the office of President, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, and majority of the States. Admit that when the Democrats were in control, they stepped all over the Republicans, how the shoe is on the other foot, and could be for the next 12 or so years. You can be in the minority if you want, or join the majority.
Whatever
Good. dump that garbage piece of legislation. Costs us so much more money now. Get rid of Obamacare.
There’s one SA Bloviating Liberal Ideologer who boldedly stated OBAMASCARE is O’s Signature Legacy……
strangely silent…..crickets
nasty man, he should be homeless!
Say whatever you want. Republican…Democrat…how is this helping the everyday person? How is this partisanship helping middle America? I keep hearing from both sides how terrible and great everything is. How great is it for you? In the last month has your bank account grown? Everybody in your family fed? Everyone in your family has a job? Both parties have done a great job in enriching the rich, regardless of their ideology.
Enjoyed your comment, rytsuru. It’s not productive to throw insults across the aisle. And unfortunately there’ll be the same partisan positioning on the hill as under Obama. They haven’t heard of the word, compromise. As far as middle America, there’s actually an economic benefit under Trump. If you have anything in the stock market such as with mutual or target funds, you’ll be happy to see the returns since election. If US businesses do better, there’ll be more jobs which creates more choices and better salaries. For some, the social aspects under Trump will be difficult to accept.
With the new tax code the rich will be paying less taxes & the middle income will see no difference.
McConnel does a great impersonation of Kermit the frog.
Time for him to retire.Maybe go back to Kentucky and raise horses.
Trump is a nationalist. Republicans still support him because of their promises to their constituency and need Trump to get it done. That formula will cause inevitable fracturing of the GOP in the future. And it will cost the GOP control of the Senate before anything else, and eventually the House. In the near future, party lines will mean less and a majority will emerge in this country that will finally change the course of our country. And yes, if you have a majority, there will always be a division as well. And nothing in the foreseeable future will change that.
Just because Pelosi and Reid used that tactic to pass Obama Care, it is not prudent to ignore the fact that we have more people covered than ever. Also, it is not a matter of “tit for tat”, it is matter of national significance that health care is available for all citizens in the US. Alternative is universal health care coverage, which will to a great extent reduce profiteering by health-care providers/specialists and pharmaceutical companies.
And who has to pay for all off this health coverage? Democrats do well until they run out of other peoples money.
If Obamacare is shut down, what’s going to replace it?
The republicans replacement plan is free Vicks vapor rub for everyone over the age of 100.
How old is this McConnell?