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The Best Health Care Bill $157 Billion In Tax Cuts For The Wealthy Can Get You

By Emily Cutler | Late Night TV | March 13, 2017 |

By Emily Cutler | Late Night TV | March 13, 2017 |


So remember last week when I called the Republicans the party of the intellectually dishonest? And some commenters rightly pointed out that I wasn’t acknowledging the times that liberals lie and are dishonest? Let me address that right now: Democrats lie and are dishonest. And elected Republicans, as a party policy, express a blatant disregard for the truth. That’s what I meant to say last week.

And I think that’s most perfectly summarized at the 15:43 mark. Or as Paul Ryan says:

Interstate shopping across state lines. We love that policy, we think it’s critical. But as you well know, you cannot put that in a budget reconciliation bill. Otherwise it could be filibustered.

What the fuck do you mean “as we well know,” Paul? Sure, maybe the “you” was the reporters you were speaking to, who presumably have a working knowledge of Congressional procedures. You know who absolutely didn’t know the Congressional rules regarding which bills can and cannot be filibustered? Fucking us. You’ve spent the past few years telling the American public, who has on average an extensively limited knowledge of how Congress runs day-to-day, that you were going to solve all of our health care problems by removing the state lines limitation, and increasing our choices. And now, only after you’ve released a shitty tax cut for the wealthy dressed up as a healthcare bill, you’re telling us that it’s nearly impossible to pass the very policy you’ve been championing?

This might seem like a small lie, but it’s emblematic of relationship the GOP in general has with the truth. Did Ryan ever add a caveat to his healthcare approach? Or more fully explain that he would need sixty Republican senators in order to implement comprehensive change? Or restate his policy within the context of the election results at some point after November 7th, like when he say, I don’t know, went on Fox and Friends to clarify his goddamn position on healthcare legislation like when he did on the show on February 2nd? Absolutely not. He only wanted to explain that when he said “repair” he meant the healthcare system, and that he was still fully intent on repealing the ACA. The fact that the replace portion was now going to be drastically different doesn’t matter much to him.

Which, and I cannot stress this enough, is an intentional policy for Republicans. Paul Ryan has intentionally been selling us on a policy that not only probably won’t work, but he can’t actually get passed. He’s spent the past four years telling us how much he loves marriage and can’t wait to get married, and then casually mentions, “Oh, I can’t marry you. As you well know, you can only marry one person at a time, and I’m already married to Brenda.”

Which is to say, Paul Ryan is a liar with no regard for the truth. It is an inconvenience to be dealt with in order to get his tax cuts. Every time he opens his mouth, remember that what’s he’s actually saying is, “Go fuck yourself.” So he should understand why I have exactly the same sentiment for him.

Emily Chambers got the $157 billion tax cut from this New York Times article. You can explain to her how wrong she is on Twitter or by email.