With all eyes on the Senate, Schumer steps out:

[ucrdem]

Senator Chuck Schumer speaking to protesters outside the Capitol on Thursday

"Don’t take the Senate for granted on health care," NYT Op-Ed, David Leonhardt, MAY 4, 2017

If 50 senators (plus Vice President Mike Pence, who breaks ties) vote for a bill anything like the House bill, it would do great damage to the country. It would harm people who suffer from a wide range of health conditions, including birth defects, cancer, diabetes and just about every other disease — including many people who are perfectly healthy today but could one day fall sick. The bill would also transfer billions of dollars from the poor and the middle class to the wealthy, who are doing just fine already, thank you.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/opinion/obamacare-repeal-senate.html?action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&module=RelatedCoverage®ion=Marginalia&pgtype=article

Question: where are our populist senators? There's no denying that this dog would rob from the 98% to feed the 2%. Isn't that what the populists are mainly concerned to prevent?

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Good but I want to hear a US Senator say "this bill will kill Americans"

[ucrdem]

3. That would do it alright.

Wish we'd been hearing that for the last four months.

[JNelson6563]

4. Didn't they just write the bill this week?

And Dems have been assuring us the Rs want to take healthcare away (aand that people would die) for ages so I guess you missed it.

[ucrdem]

6. Some have been, yes.

[JNelson6563]

7. Ok, so no radio silence then.

Always sad to see DUers wrongly criticize Dems.

[ucrdem]

9. Possibly this was more important than Obama's speaking fees?

And the ridiculous endorsement donnybrook?

[beam me up scottie]

8. One did: "Donald Trump and Republicans just celebrated voting to let thousands of Americans die"

Link to tweet

[ucrdem]

10. Yes I saw that before I posted.

They're all tweeting, which is fine, but note that the horse has already left the barn.

[beam me up scottie]

12. They've been fighting this all along, where have you been?

Sanders, Schumer call on senators to lead nationwide health care rallies

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/11/politics/bernie-sanders-chuck-schumer-rallies/


Sens. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders called on constituents and their fellow senators from across the country to lead rallies protesting President Donald Trump's plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act later this month.

"The Republican Party's plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act is in chaos," the two lawmakers said in a joint statement Saturday. "The American people increasingly understand that throwing 20 million people off health insurance, privatizing Medicare, raising prescription drug costs for seniors and doing away with life-and-death patient protection provisions is not acceptable."

Schumer recently spoke at a rally advocating for exanding LGBT rights, and Sanders is reaching out to other senators encouraging them to protest.

[ucrdem]

16. That would have been helpful.

[beam me up scottie]

20. Then I'm sure you'll agree that it's a good thing they held those rallies.

And that they've been calling attention to the effort to appeal the ACA for months.

[ucrdem]

28. There was no national mobilization against this bill.

And I can find no evidence of the 100s of rallies promised in February:

100 Nationwide Rallies To Save Health Care
http://www.politicususa.com/2017/02/22/democrats-hammer-reeling-republicans-100-nationwide-rallies-save-health-care.html

However, I did find a few, like this "rally for Medicare for all":

RALLY FOR MEDICARE FOR ALL
February 22 @ 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

The Single-Payer Action Network Ohio (SPAN-OHIO) will hold a rally prior to a meeting with Senator Rob Portman’s office in Columbus. The rally will assemble in the park next to the building. SPAN-Ohio will be asking that Senator Portman support Medicare for All – a health care system that is universal, of high quality, comprehensive, publicly financed, not tied to employment and accountable to the citizens of the country – not Wall Street.

http://progressohio.org/event/rally-for-medicare-for-all/

Commendable perhaps, but I wouldn't count that as a rally to save the ACA.

[beam me up scottie]

30. Wrong again: "Pro-ACA protesters attended more than 100 rallies held Saturday across the country"

Activist muscle gives Obamacare a lift
By Mike DeBonis, David Weigel
February 25, 2017 at 7:18 PM


Seven years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Democrats seem finally to have secured a crucial element for its preservation: a robust grass-roots movement supporting it.

Pro-ACA protesters attended more than 100 rallies held Saturday across the country, organized by an activist group affiliated with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). That followed a congressional recess week during which GOP lawmakers were confronted by defenders of the health-care law in town hall meetings across the country. Numerous Democratic officeholders also held events touting the law’s successes.

The surge in activism comes as congressional Republicans prepare to take their next steps toward repealing the ACA, also known as Obamacare, and replacing it with what they say will be a more free-market-oriented system that is expected to cost the government less but cover fewer Americans

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/activist-muscle-gives-obamacare-a-lift/2017/02/25/d97efaca-facc-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html

[ucrdem]

33. Yes I posted an anouncement for one of those rallies, in Ohio:

RALLY FOR MEDICARE FOR ALL

http://progressohio.org/event/rally-for-medicare-for-all/

Nice try, but no cigar.

[beam me up scottie]

34. So you're saying WaPo made it up? Sorry i can't agree with your assessment.

According to WaPO thousands of protesters turned up at over 100 rallies to save health care, I consider that a job well done by our senators. You wanted to know what they were doing and now you do.

So let's hear it for our guys!

[ucrdem]

37. "Medicare for All" is basically a rejection of the ACA.

So the usefulness of such rallies is questionable. The larger point is that the effort to prevent it from passing in the House failed, as of today. And now that their foot is in the door I'm not optimistic that efforts to prevent if from passing the senate will do any better.

[beam me up scottie]

40. Medicare for all is the end goal, saving the ACA is what they're fighting for right now.

And it's also what our side has been fighting for since Trump announced he would repeal it.

You wondered what our senators were doing about it and now you know. I refuse to condemn them for not being able to stop the Republicans, especially since they're not done yet.

Ymmv.

[ucrdem]

42. "Medicare for All" as a slogan is a rejection of the ACA and there's no denying it.

A perfectly nice idea, but its utility in saving ACA is less than zero. JMHO, YMMV.

[beam me up scottie]

45. It's also the name of legislation that's been introduced in the house.

A record-breaking 104 House Democrats are co-sponsoring a Medicare-for-All bill

As President Donald Trump and the GOP attempt once again to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with a much crueler bill, House Democrats are pushing in the total opposite direction: as of Thursday, a record 104 have signed on to co-sponsor a Medicare-for-All bill.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/04/27/first-time-ever-majority-house-dems-support-medicare-all-bill

Or is that just a 'slogan' and rejection of the ACA too?

[ucrdem]

47. Yes and we saw the utility of that effort this afternoon.

As I just said, it's a nice idea, but its usefulness in saving ACA is negligible.

[beam me up scottie]

48. Like I said, our side is the one fighting to save health care coverage.

And I'm going to give credit where it's due.

[ucrdem]

50. Yes, let's give credit where it's due. nt

[beam me up scottie]

53. Then we agree our senators and congresspeople are fighting to save health care.

And they deserve credit for it.

[smirkymonkey]

17. God, just look at that shit-eating grin on their faces.

They are absolutely disgusting. I feel physically ill right now.

[ucrdem]

18. Bagmen.

And they probably know it.

[smirkymonkey]

26. As the Scottish would say, "Bawbags".

?resize=625:469

[beam me up scottie]

21. Right? They are THRILLED that people will be kicked off their insurance

This picture needs to be used in campaign ads in 2018 and 2020.

[smirkymonkey]

24. Never let them or us forget this moment.

Their hate is on display for all to see. That will be a part of history forever.

[beam me up scottie]

25. I read they ordered beer to celebrate.

We need to make sure that the distinction is clear: our congresspeople and senators were livid that people will suffer and die while theirs celebrated.

[smirkymonkey]

27. Can you think of anything more cruel?

To be joyous in the act of screwing over millions of Americans. And they have the nerve to celebrate.

[beam me up scottie]

32. Not today.

But I'm sure they'll surprise us.

[crazycatlady]

44. I can see one saying that

But she'll (again) be silenced by Bitch McConnell.

[blueinredohio]

2. Read that my

a**hole of a senator (Portman) says he will not vote for ahca. I will e-mail him and tell him Ihope he keeps his promise because I know he know he got $89,500 to sell my privacy.

[JNelson6563]

5. Emails are the least effective way to communicate to them.

They actually keep track of phone calls received. And when he's in town be sure to go and give him a special welcome.

[beam me up scottie]

11. Our "populist senators" haven't been silent.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[ucrdem]

13. I'm glad he's keeping up with the day's news. nt

[beam me up scottie]

14. Well at least he has been while others are wondering where our senators are.

Looks like they've been there all along.

[ucrdem]

15. Yes he's been there 26 years.

By the way what became of that plan to hold nationwide health care rallies? The last reference I can find is Feb 25.

[beam me up scottie]

19. You missed them? Wow, you really haven't been paying attention.

Sanders, Democrats rally thousands across the country to save Obamacare


Democrats and labor organizers spent Sunday at dozens of rallies across the country, pledging to fight in Congress against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and any attempt to change Medicare or Medicaid. The party's leaders faced crowds ranging in size from dozens to thousands of people, urging them to call Republicans and protest the push for repeal.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-bernie-sanders-michigan-healthcare-rally-20170115-story.html

An easy Google search would have provided the answer:

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/02/25/denver-rally-support-affordable-care-act/

http://abc7.com/politics/protesters-rally-to-save-obamacare-in-dtla/1815127/

http://wjla.com/news/local/rally-held-in-gaithersburg-to-save-affordable-care-act

[ucrdem]

22. Several local rallies, yes.

Hundreds of rallies coast-to-coast, as promised, no.

[beam me up scottie]

23. Who "promised hundreds of rallies"?

Can you post a link to where our senators promised a certain number?

You keep moving the goal posts so it's difficult to keep up.

First it was "where are our senators?"

Then it was "where were they before today?"

And then "what happened to those rallies?"

Now it's "okay they held rallies but they STILL didn't do ENOUGH".

[ucrdem]

29. How about BernieSanders.com?

PRESS RELEASE

More Than 100 Health Care Rallies to Take Place from Coast to Coast on Saturday

FEBRUARY 22, 2017
Twitter Facebook Email Link

WASHINGTON – Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Wednesday that more than 100 rallies will take place from coast to coast on Saturday to fight Republican attempts to take health care away from 20 million Americans.

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/100-health-care-rallies-take-place-coast-coast-saturday/

If you're suggesting that this is fake news, well, let's just say I'm not going to argue with you.

[beam me up scottie]

31. And they did take place: "Pro-ACA protesters attended more than 100 rallies"

Activist muscle gives Obamacare a lift
By Mike DeBonis, David Weigel
February 25, 2017 at 7:18 PM


Seven years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Democrats seem finally to have secured a crucial element for its preservation: a robust grass-roots movement supporting it.

Pro-ACA protesters attended more than 100 rallies held Saturday across the country, organized by an activist group affiliated with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). That followed a congressional recess week during which GOP lawmakers were confronted by defenders of the health-care law in town hall meetings across the country. Numerous Democratic officeholders also held events touting the law’s successes.

The surge in activism comes as congressional Republicans prepare to take their next steps toward repealing the ACA, also known as Obamacare, and replacing it with what they say will be a more free-market-oriented system that is expected to cost the government less but cover fewer Americans

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/activist-muscle-gives-obamacare-a-lift/2017/02/25/d97efaca-facc-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html

I'm so glad WaPo doesn't post "fake news", aren't you?

[ucrdem]

35. Yes there were rallies in February

and the first Trumpcare House bill failed. Today is May 4 and Trumpcare passed. Somebody dropped the ball.

[beam me up scottie]

36. So now it's our senators' fault that the Republicans in the house passed this bill today?

You go with that.

Meanwhile I'm going to place the blame solely on Republicans and give props where it's due - to all of the congresspeople and senators who've been fighting this all along.

[ucrdem]

39. Organizing "Medicare for All" rallies

cannot be considered "fighting this all along" in my view because the underlying meme, or sentiment, is that ACA is bad legislation and needs to be replaced. Well, that's exactly what appears now to be happening.

[beam me up scottie]

41. Who said they were Medicare for All rallies? The articles I posted said they were 'pro-ACA' rallies

Sanders, Democrats rally thousands across the country to save Obamacare


Democrats and labor organizers spent Sunday at dozens of rallies across the country, pledging to fight in Congress against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and any attempt to change Medicare or Medicaid. The party's leaders faced crowds ranging in size from dozens to thousands of people, urging them to call Republicans and protest the push for repeal.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-bernie-sanders-michigan-healthcare-rally-20170115-story.html

Activist muscle gives Obamacare a lift
By Mike DeBonis, David Weigel
February 25, 2017 at 7:18 PM


Seven years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Democrats seem finally to have secured a crucial element for its preservation: a robust grass-roots movement supporting it.

Pro-ACA protesters attended more than 100 rallies held Saturday across the country, organized by an activist group affiliated with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). That followed a congressional recess week during which GOP lawmakers were confronted by defenders of the health-care law in town hall meetings across the country. Numerous Democratic officeholders also held events touting the law’s successes.

The surge in activism comes as congressional Republicans prepare to take their next steps toward repealing the ACA, also known as Obamacare, and replacing it with what they say will be a more free-market-oriented system that is expected to cost the government less but cover fewer Americans

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/activist-muscle-gives-obamacare-a-lift/2017/02/25/d97efaca-facc-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html

Again I'm not going to condemn our side for fighting.

[ucrdem]

43. Fighting for what though? If the ACA goes down it won't be replaced by Medicare for All.

Of that you can be sure.

[beam me up scottie]

46. They're fighting to save the ACA and introducing Medicare for All legislation.

We can fight for both at the same time.

Again, our side is the ONLY one fighting for health care and I won't criticize them for it.

[ucrdem]

49. And having lost the ACA do you think there's a hope in hell for Medicare for All?

That was a distraction we didn't need. Another one.

[beam me up scottie]

51. A distraction? John Conyers has been introducing this legislation almost every year.

Why should he stop now that we need to demonstrate which party is fighting to cover all Americans and which one is throwing people off insurance and celebrating?

Again - we can fight for both and I'm thrilled that our legislators are capable of playing defense and offense.

[ucrdem]

52. They just lost the game, but I'm glad you're thrilled. nt

[beam me up scottie]

55. How did they lose? It hasn't even gone to the senate yet.

And you bet I'm THRILLED that many on our side aren't done fighting yet. At least someone gives a damn.

[awesomerwb]

38. Would've been nice if the dems had done

a group press conference a-la state of the union response.

"While the republicans celebrated stripping millions of Americans of healthcare with beer at the white house, we are here to reassure the American people that we will fight for them and their right to afordable healthcare.....etc....you get my point.

[JTFrog]

54. Busy talking shit about Obama.

And other Democrats.

[tirebiter]

56. Every town hall turned into a rally against what happened today

They've been pretty constant since November.

Anybody care to challenge that?