Dem Senator On Republican O'Care Replacement: 'They Are In A Panic'

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo

By LAUREN FOX Published JANUARY 18, 2017, 3:39 PM EDT

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) says Republicans have approached him looking for help to replace the Affordable Care Act because he says "they are in a panic."

"I think they want a life line because they don't have a plan," Schatz told TPM. Schatz told TPM that Republicans' overtures to talk health care are little more than vague hints that the Democratic senator should sit down with them.

"It's 'hey, let's talk. Why don't we form a little grouping,' but nobody's buying it because they have no plan," Schatz said. Republicans took the first steps to repeal the Affordable Care Act last week using a process known as reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority vote to pass in the Senate. But Republicans know that they will need Democratic support to replace Obamacare.

"They want to be able to claim this is part of a good faith negotiation, but it's simply not.They have no idea what comes next so they want some bipartisan cover for their nonsense behavior," Schatz said.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/dem-senator-on-republican-ocare-replacement-they-are-in-a-panic

[thucythucy]

1. Fuck 'em.

They own this mess. Let them stew in their own rancid juices.

[dhill926]

21. yep...

[metroins]

32. No. It fucks us.

Democrats in elected office should do everything possible to get the best Healthcare possible.

I don't want a fucked up health savings account. That doesn't fix my medical problems.

[Ruby the Liberal]

36. Not if the Rs don't have the votes to repeal

If our Senators give them cover on a spit and a prayer, THEN we are fucked.

[metroins]

39. If it's not repealed, then F them

But if it is. We're in the weak position and we have to live with whatever is passed. I want Democrats involved by at least trying to help us citizens.

We have to live with this stuff.

[Grins]

97. I know what you are saying...but

I understand your point, but I'm now at the point where only when things change only when it affects you personally. No matter the cause, vaccinations, ADHD, alcoholism, AIDS, autism, opioid use, etc. the "Lock em' up!" crowd only starts to understand when it affects them personally. Sen. Pete Domenici didn't give a shit about autism until it was HIS grandchild who became affected by it.

So let those in the coal states really feel the results of voting for those who openly said they would kill the Obamacare that provides the health care and disability checks for those with black lung. Or opioid abuse. Or whatever.

[thucythucy]

99. It fucks me too

since I'm a person with a serious disability, who couldn't possibly get health insurance on the private market. So I'm well aware of the consequences for myself and many of my loved ones.

I just find it galling that the same assholes who, for eight years, have been demonizing the ACA for political gain are now begging us to please please help them come up with an alterative they said they had all along. And you can be sure they're doing this, not because they give one solid shit about people like me who might be hurt by the repeal, but because their own precious political hides will be on the line.

Instead of yet again falling for this bullshit, I wish our elected Democratic leaders would play hardball and say, basically, fuck you--if you repeal the Act you'll have to live with the political consequences. To my mind that's probably the ONLY way we have to save the Act. If enough Republicans become convinced that repealing the ACA will mean their own political demise, maybe, just maybe, they won't throw the switch.

It's a slim hope. If the Repubs call our bluff, then we take it from there. But if we begin, on day one, backdoor negotiations on what to do assuming the repeal is inevitable, then we're fucked no matter what happens.

It's my life and the lives of my loved ones these assholes are playing with, pretending we don't exist or don't matter for the sake of satisfying their troglodyte base. Well, we do exist and we do matter, and it's about time we made that clear to those motherfuckers.

Pardon all the profanity, but I'm angry enough to spit. Words cannot express the depth of my contempt for Trump, his enablers in the GOP, and all the idiots who voted for him expecting him to "drain the swamp" and other such nonsense. Once again I find myself in opposition to my own government, with my very life and well-being on the line. To hear now that members of Congress KNOW FULL WELL that millions of people will be hurt, but are going to do this anyway, expecting Democrats to once again clean up their mess, in just infuriating beyond my poor powers of exposition.

[BlueJac]

107. Fuck ' em all

[pbmus]

2. Let em hang ....

[AgadorSparticus]

67. AGREED!!!!

[Beartracks]

105. They *will* blame Dems when "replace" doesn't happen.

"We repealed Obamacare in good faith, America, but the bratty Democrats wouldn't help us replace it with something great. Waaaah!"

The media will eat it up.

=============

[still_one]

3. MEDICARE FOR ALL. Problem solved

[tenorly]

5. Hear, hear.

President Obama missed a golden and historic opportunity to implement this back in '09. He probably feels the same way himself - particularly now that the ACA is being unceremoniously scrapped out of sheer spite.

[groundloop]

9. that historic opportunity was snatched from Obama by Joe Lie-berman et al.

[tenorly]

19. Oh, that's right. Traitor Joe.

That veritable, one-man fifth column since at least 2003.

[still_one]

31. There were a good number of them, the blue dogs. We didn't have the votes

[dionysus]

87. 6 if i recall, each one eager to fillibuster. Assholes...

[bettyellen]

10. He had an opportunity to expand Medicare to all of us when?

I heard the same crap from someone who said POTUS did not bother nominating a judge to SCOTUS. Seriously people? Stop doing the heavy lifting for Fox.

[dionysus]

88. The hell he did. 6 blue dogs were ready tonfillibhsyer a mere public option

[still_one]

27. He really didn't have the votes. The blue dogs wouldn't go for it. Bayh, Nelson in Florida,

Nelson in Nebraska, LIEberman, Lincoln in Arkansas, and there a few other Democrats that wouldn't go for it

Where he miscalculated I believe, was thinking that he could bring the republicans into the process by using the Heritage Foundation plan as the template for the ACA. However, the republican hatred of the first African American President they would not have anything to do with that, and not one republican voted for the ACA, nor did they offer an actual alternative.

For a lot of us at the time, the thought was getting our foot in the door with crucial, and hopefully allow it evolve into single payer or a public option.

Unfortunately, as you pointed out at the end of your response, that seems more further away than ever now

This is where I really would like to see the Democrats in Congress unify on now, Medicare for all, and take the case to the people. They have nothing to lose.

[tenorly]

28. Thank you for the excellent recap.

It's hard to remember anything but the deafening noise surrounding the ACA debate at the time (and since).

[PassingFair]

46. Blue Dogs AND

New Dems

[TheDebbieDee]

49. You forgot Mary Landrieu of LA...

I am still pissed off abt the back-stabbing Dems that held out for favors for their crappy-assed states!

[still_one]

58. I knew I missed some. We needed every Democratic vote

[Dave in VA]

52. THIS!

"This is where I really would like to see the Democrats in Congress unify on now, Medicare for all, and take the case to the people. They have nothing to lose."

This x1000

[AgadorSparticus]

69. +1,000!!!

[paleotn]

74. Funny how they're all just about gone now....

I guess Truman was right...or was it karma?

[bdamomma]

92. very good post

I remember watching it on TV when they continually bickering what should be covered and what shouldn't be, it was horrible but let these repigs loose their seats. Health care is a right not a privilege that is what these stupid repigs believe.

[dionysus]

86. No, 6 blue dogs, including holy joe, made sure there would be no singlebpayer or

Public option.

[Renew Deal]

15. They can't do what they want to do AND what Trump wants to do.

It's not possible. But Medicare for all would be a way out. I don't think they would do that.

[still_one]

29. I think that is what the Democrats in Congress should be pushing, and take the case to the people

[Girard442]

33. Bizzarely, that would essentially be the solution Trump is promising.

Also at 11:00, "Hell's Winter Wonderland", and "Commuting on your own personal flying pig."

[Maven]

4. DON'T GIVE THEM ANY COVER

Let them fail miserably and own this failure 100%. NO "bipartisanship" on this at all.

[DinahMoeHum]

6. They want a "lifeline"? Throw 'em an anchor. . .

. . .glub glub glub. . .

[get the red out]

12. Absolutely

Stupid fucks, what did they think would happen?

[avebury]

40. Totally agree. nt

[Angry Dragon]

7. they had six years to get a plan .............. fuck them

[Skittles]

11. HOLD FIRM

DO NOT HELP THOSE ASSHOLES

LET THEM OWN THEIR OWN GARBAGE

[Phoenix61]

13. You break it, you own it

We need to keep the pressure up. I guess they thought we would just roll over. Surprise! Funny how people assume that because you are a caring person you are a wimp. Didn't anybody teach them it's the quiet ones you don't want to piss off?

[UCmeNdc]

14. Do not sit down with them. They will negotiate a terrible plan then blame the Democratic politicians

for the mess. If you are a Democratic politician run as far away from this GOP mess as you can.

[avebury]

41. I would hope that would be pretty obvious to the Dems in Congress. nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. Their plan for remodeling the bathroom? Burn down the house.

Screw them.

Let them wallow in their own mess.

[madaboutharry]

17. Democrats must remain strong

and not give them cover.

Petty and immature, Republicans never think things through. It is all about dissing Pres. Obama.

[bdamomma]

93. dissing the american people too

the repigs feel as though they are entitled because they are wealthy that will bite them back so hard. We as citizens had to hit them back hard. It will be interesting to see what is going to happen.

[Eliot Rosewater]

18. They have two objectives as I can see it

1. make sure Barack Obama never gets credit for anything good

2. make as much profit as possible off of whatever system is put in place.

[archiemo]

20. Sen. Schwartz should direct him to the President-Elect for assistance.

Apparently he has a great healthcare plan that will provide beautiful healthcare, blah, blah, blah.

[cstanleytech]

25. Trumps heathcare plan will probably involve consulting his top advisor.......Siri. nt

[hibbing]

22. I'm sorry, I'm a pessimist

Whatever happens they will dismantle anything that helps anyone but their masters in the ruling class. Somehow the result will get twisted into being the Democrats' fault with willing support from the corporate media.

Peace

[DemoTex]

23. Panic schmanic.

They don't care. They do not care. The GOP DOES NOT CARE.

[lastlib]

83. THAT's their health-care plan: "GOPeeDon'tCare"!

1. Don't get sick.
2. If you do get sick, die as quickly as you can.

[cstanleytech]

24. He is exactly right about why they are suddenly willing to be bipartisan which is that

they painted themselves into a corner by attacking Obamacare and lying to their voter base over it as a wedge to get out their base to vote and while they want to repeal it so as not to piss their voter base off they also dont wanna piss off even more people who suddenly have no insurance.

[Ruby the Liberal]

35. Yes. This.

[tomp]

73. according to Alan Lichtman...

....the historian with the great election prediction track record, one of the keys to who wins the presidency is how the people see the effectiveness of the party in the White House during the previous four years. If they don't have big legislative or military wins, or such, the other party gets in.

The stonewalling by the republicans of everything progressive (or, everything obama) may have been a large factor in how the people voted this november.

Why, in God's name, would we help the republicans get elected again in 2018 or 2020?

Oppose trump and the republicans at every turn with no democratic vote for ANYTHING proposed by the republicans....

....INCLUDING WAR!

[cstanleytech]

77. Why? Because Obama himself said if the Republicans presented a better plan to him

than his that he would sign it but the other reason is because stonewalling good legislation that would help the majority of American people is the Republican parties way its not the Democratic parties way.
Of course thats entirely dependent on them coming up with an actual better plan on their own thats better than Obamacare and I just dont think they have the cojones to admit they fucked up and then come up with such a plan not after they lied to their base about how "evil" Obamacare was.

[tomp]

109. typical sell-out neoliberal bullshit...

...as if cooperating with repubs could E-V-E-R be good for the people (hint: it couldn't, there is no way in hell the republicans will come up with "good legislation&quot . These motherfuckers stole another election and you want to help them. what in god's name is the matter with you?

...as if because obama said it it must be right (he doesn't walk on water, is not infallible, and despite his charisma and charm, he is in my opinion, most often wrong on crucial progressive policies).

so we'll have to agree to disagree. just don't be surprised when "CHANGE" doesn't happen from following obama. and don't say you weren't warned.

peace out.

[cstanleytech]

111. Hey if you want to sink to their level feel free but I will follow the advice from Michelle Obama.

[bdamomma]

94. oh War

that's another discussion War makes money for these filthy people, and the consequences of this could be detrimental to all of us.

TO ALL OF US.

[MontanaMama]

26. I'd like to see Dems step up and pull the public option

out their back pocket and lobby their constituents like hell. Take the mojo away from the R's. It wouldn't get that far but it just might get the R's to back the fuck up and take a breath. I called my Dem Senator, Jon Tester, and demanded some vocal leadership from him on this issue. The majority of Americans do not support going backwards on healthcare. Dem leadership needs to make a whole lot of noise right now.

[Jim Lane]

30. What to negotiate about with the GOP

"We want Medicare for all. That will solve the Obamacare problems. We recognize that it will cause a loss in value of the stocks and bonds issued by the giant, for-profit insurance companies, and that you must look out for the interests of your corporate paymasters, so we're willing to discuss some kind of federal compensation for those investors. In return, we want assistance for insurers' employees who are laid off. Let's start talking numbers."

[kacekwl]

57. Insurers employees who become unemployed could

certainly transition to government jobs that will surely need to be added to maintain a single payer type system. That's what they said to millions of others on unemployment, you have to be willing to adapt , to retrain yourselves.

[Jim Lane]

75. I'd support giving them preference but that wouldn't be enough

Single payer is more efficient than our current system, and one reason is the lower administrative costs. The insurance companies employ people in tasks related to sending bills, collecting payments, marketing, second-guessing doctors' medical decisions, etc. Medicare for all would need some additional staff but not all those people. It would be reasonable for the government to do more for them than a callous "go retrain yourselves" (though I agree with you that that's often been the attitude toward the long-term unemployed).

[Ruby the Liberal]

34. Poison Pill -- make them own this one

They will hang it on the Dems when their replacement fails, by saying that they had a Great plan. Terrific plan. But they had to scrap all of the Great and Terrific things out of it to appease the Dems.

Let. Them. Own. It.

[cstanleytech]

50. Agreed but the Dems need to be careful about how they do it as well and if by some

chance the GOP should offer up a better plan then the Dems should do what Obama said he was willing to do had they presented such a plan to him and support it but other than that this whole mess is the up to the GOP to resolve since they made it by trying to cut the legs out from under Obamacare.

[cab67]

53. sure...

...but short of single-payer (which no Republican will support), what would such a better plan look like?

[cstanleytech]

59. Thats the point though they probably cannot offer one thats better atleast not

without suffering a political hit and thats their own fault for deciding to use it to rally their base to turn out and vote.
Of course they might have one way to escape largely unscathed for now which is if Trump has to sign off on what they did and that is for Trump to veto it until they have this magical plan thats better than Obamacare ready then it might buy them the time they need until the midterms are here and over but thats a gamble on their part just like using peoples fear and ignorance over Obamacare was a gamble.

[4lbs]

37. Make the idiot GOPers own their shit. Don't help them shine that turd. nt

.

[UCmeNdc]

38. You cannot negotiate with the GOP. They will lie and say yes to get you into the room then blame you

for the failure to come up with a plan when the negotiations fall through. I can see the newspaper headlines now, the Democratic politicians were so unreasonable that is why you have no health insurance now.

[wryter2000]

42. Don't do it

As President Obama said, "Don't save them."

[SCVDem]

43. Does anyone else see a nationwide strike?

I think by summer we will have a coast to coast day of protest.

Think Lech Walesa, Poland and solidarity.

[kairos12]

44. Scorched earth. No accomodation with evil. History will judge you.

[mobeau69]

45. I say

Fuck 'em. eom

[tazkcmo]

47. Adding my

Hell no!

[LisaL]

48. If democrats bail republicans out,

how will people who voted for Trump ever learn?

[Brother Buzz]

51. I'm with Napoleon Bonaparte on this one

Never Interfere With an Enemy While He’s in the Process of Destroying Himself - Napoleon Bonaparte

[ladym55]

54. McConnell already tried this with Schumer

Told him that the Republicans were going to repeal the ACA and that Schumer and the Dems were in charge of putting together the replacement. Schumer told him that if McConnell was going to repeal the ACA, he would own the whole thing, including the replacement.

The Republicans need to own this whole thing. We are all standing up across the country saying no and bombarding our reps and Senators. They need to get scared and back down from this train wreck.

[bdamomma]

95. Schumer needs to remain strong on this

McConnell that filthy man needs to get his ass handed to him. He obstructed President Obama had no respect for him at all and it was based on his skin color of course. Who can forget him saying "Let's make him a one term President" or obstructing his agenda for a fucking 8 years.

No I see McConnell and Ryan as guilty parties, McConnell is Kentucky's Senator and look at Kentucky can't say he does anything good for his constituents. Damn them.

And I don't want to hear about us being sore losers and for us to move on either, this is more than that. This is about our democracy which has been hijacked with another communist country pulling the strings and having this un-knowledgeable man with no political ideology at the helm. Sickening.

Again my venting for today.

[Freethinker65]

55. Nope. The GOP owns this. Consider it their mandate.

[leftyladyfrommo]

56. The ACA is really complicated.

There probably aren't any people in Congress who are able to come up with anything even close.

They were so busy trying to get revenge on Obama that they didn't notice what the plan was really like.

[Zambero]

60. The GOP has managed to get enough rope to hang itself

Two basic choices for them:

1, Back off
2. Proceed with repeal plans and get their neck stretched

This is what they have been aspiring to. They are now in the majority and can claim full ownership of their agenda, along with any consequences that follow. No help, assistance, or political bailout should be provided.

[DeminPennswoods]

61. ACA IS the GOP plan,

the one cooked up by the Heritage Foundation and their insurance company and other healthcare big donors.

The only real alternatives are Medicare for All or some other single payer. Every other thing the GOP might come up with will leave a big mess and lots of angry voters.

[Cosmocat]

80. THIS

These assholes are that fucking insane.

They grinned themselves into complete hysterics over THEIR fucking health care reform, turned the country against it out off deranged partisanship full on committing to repeal without the first fucking clue what to replace it with.

The worst part is the dumbfuck pods in this country just bleeted and followed them over the cliff.

[moreland01]

62. Solution

I have a solution. Default: Medicare for all. If you don't like that then plan B. . . If you can't get insurance through an employer, then you qualify for Medicare.

[Hekate]

63. Hey Dems: do not help these murderers, not even a little bit.You CANNOT mitigate what they are doing

Mitigation is not possible. I'm sorry. It's not.

So whatever Obama's parting words were to Dems in Congress, do what he said.

[Cha]

64. That's my Senator Brian Schatz.. Thank you!

[Mickju]

78. He's a Good Guy

I used to live down the hall from him and his wife in Honolulu. They were very nice and friendly.

[Cha]

79. Cool!

[gademocrat7]

65. No way in hell!

Mcturtle and his cabal own this.

[mn9driver]

66. Fuck them. We are going back to high risk pools

And shitty vouchers to buy overpriced policies that cover nothing. This belongs to the GOP. No democrat's name should be associated with it.

[Sunlei]

68. t(R)ump the Republicans president promised health insurance for everyone. Obama said its a bluff.

No D should trust Republicans, they are fully informed about ACA and it's BENEFIT to American people.

Obamas discussed & put in print information about ACA-healthcare insurance dozens of times in the past 2 months.

[bucolic_frolic]

70. They are in a panic because

all they did for 8 years was cower in a Tea Party corner and rail against
that Nijeerian imposter - they didn't participate in the debate, didn't
offer solutions, didn't read the bill, and don't know anything about what
Obamacare does! They thought when they labeled it Obamacare it was
like labeling it witch-doctoring and it would go away! Now they are not
up to speed on how the ACA is so well-crafted.

The GOP doesn't know how health care works, they just make noise.

[angrychair]

71. Screw them

This is their bullshit stew, let them eat it.

[Wounded Bear]

72. They voted to repeal when they knew it wouldn't pass...

fuck 'em.



Offer them Medicare for all, and settle for nothing less. They've had this problem for years. People have said thousands of times they have no plan and they denied it. Now when the shit is about to hit the fan, they got nothing.

[mobeau69]

90. They knew it would be vetoed by Obama everytime they passed a repeal bill.

They're the dog that caught the bus. They're going to own this shit now.

[keithbvadu2]

76. Trump's plan will cover everyone

Instead of death panels, the GOP will do it wholesale.
.
.
?1484696198

[lostnfound]

82. The poor don't need actual licensed degreed doctors, right?

Walmart can convert unused break rooms into lower class surgical wards.

[keithbvadu2]

108. Cleanup on aisle nine.

[tclambert]

81. Here's their plan: Those who can afford it, pay for it. Those who can't afford it, walk if off.

[roamer65]

84. Unless it's single payor Medicare for all, Dems need to be the new party of "NO".

[mahina]

85. I am so proud of Brian Schatz. He's my Senator, and he is a super good guy.

He's focusing on overturning Citizen's United. YES!

Imua Brian!

[NewJeffCT]

89. How about the good senator tells them

go to hell?

[Calista241]

91. I honestly think the Reps are going to drop reform of Healthcare for a couple years.

They'll blame it on Dems for not wanting to help, and they're going to sit back and watch premiums rise and options decline.

Besides, Trump doesn't really care about this. He wants to do tax reform, immigration reform and NAFTA renegotiations.

Obama spent 21 months working on the ACA. Trump doesn't want to devote that kind of time to something he ultimately doesn't give a shit about.

[bdamomma]

96. you got that right about tRump

he wants to line his own pockets and his filthy cabinet appointees. They do not care about Americans or democracy, or the Constitution. These are the 1% which have been drilled into everyone's head of not caring what makes people think that these filthy Goldman Sachs people care about us Americans it's all about class Rich vs. Poor no Middle Class now. THEY DO NOT CARE.


They disrespect us and we should return the same to them.

[Ray Bruns]

98. I hope the democrats in Congress see this as the con it is.

This is nothing but CYOA by the republicans. That way, when they repeal and don't replace it is going to be
"Well, we had bi-partisan support for our fictitious plan."

[IronLionZion]

100. Since Trump is too lazy to come up with a plan, give him HR 676

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Health_Care_Act

And tell him it's the pro-business plan that cuts costs for job creators the most. It's a true statement.

[Politicub]

101. Obama's legacy will endure

He changed the discussion about healthcare and, with it, people's expectations of health care being a benefit we all deserve.

Obamacare will change a lot, but the positive effects on American life will live beyond all of us. And survive the Trump anarchy crew.

[wordpix]

102. as long as working together is based on single payer and ability to choose

a Medicare-for-all plan instead of private insurance from Big Insurance crooks, I'm for it.

[MrScorpio]

103. Republicans are incompetent

We're going to be seeing a lot of that from here on out.

It's best for Dems to let GOPrs learn the hard lessons. No lifelines.

FDT.

[mreilly]

104. NO! This is a TRAP!

The GOP wants the Dems to help come up with some sort of plan and then when it bombs they will run around screeching: "B-B-B-BUT THE D-D-DEMOCRATS WANTED IT TOO!"

JUST like how they insist voting for the Iraq War wasn't their fault since they lied and bamboozled everyone else into following their lead!

[Mc Mike]

106. Single Payer.

Medicare for All.

[RealityChik]

110. They want Dem help so they have a scapegoat to blame!

That seems to be what "bi-partisan" means to Repubs.