By Dustin Rowles | Politics | March 9, 2017 |
By Dustin Rowles | Politics | March 9, 2017 |
Debate on the Republican proposal to replace Obamcare went well into the night for the House of Representatives yesterday and this morning, and if you want to understand the toll its taken on the Congresmen, here’s Massachusetts Democrat Joe Kennedy III around 6 p.m., who gets GOP lawyers to admit that the new bill will not cover mental illness and addiction.
Watch GOP lawyers admit that repeal plan will cut off coverage to millions suffering from mental illness & addiction. #ProtectOurCare #ACA pic.twitter.com/nXE3KsRLIN
— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) March 8, 2017
Let's make it easier for the mentally ill to get guns and harder for hardworking Americans to get healthcare. So patriotic. Sooo Christian.
— Bradley Whitford (@WhitfordBradley) March 9, 2017
Here’s the same Congressman at 2:30 a.m., who looks a little worse for wear, as he asks why the hell we are rushing through this process anyway?
At 2:30 a.m., a Kennedy from Massachusetts sums up what might be Dems' most effective argument: Why are we rushing? pic.twitter.com/H4Q98LRpyb
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 9, 2017
(The answer, by the way, is because the only hope that Paul Ryan can get it passed is if he rushes it through before the growing opposition can mount a proper offense).
Nevertheless, I’m not sure one can blame the length of the debate for GOP Congressman Jason Smith’s profound stupidity, as he argues here that the tanning tax in Obamacare should be repealed because it disproportionately affects women, on International Women’s Day of all days!
GOP rep goes on long riff on how tanning tax hurts women. "Today is International Women's Day. It's interesting no one is bringing it up." pic.twitter.com/FdOGOo18Om
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 9, 2017
Is it possible to have a punchable voice? Because that man has the most punchable voice I have ever heard.
And if you thought he couldn’t get dumber, here’s the same GOP Congressman suggesting that Democrats should propose a tax on the sun, because he did “a Google search” and learned that the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer.
GOP rep also asks why ice cream isn't taxed + suggests that if Democrats care about skin cancer, they tax the sun. pic.twitter.com/dFfnUt01vO
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 9, 2017
Here’s another GOP Congressman suggesting that, Hey! Maybe tanning beds are healthy! “I’m not a doctor. You’re not a doctor. There’s studies that say it is healthy, and there are studies that say it is unhealthy.”
Different GOP rep argues that tanning salons might be healthy, tho adds "I'm not a doctor, you're not a doctor." pic.twitter.com/gMwah1ZFRo
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 9, 2017
I think the GOP has found another tactic for passing the healthcare bill: They’re going to exhaust Democrats and wear them down with their stupidity.
Couldn’t have said it better, Favs:
We are led by stupid, stupid people. https://t.co/U10E19qaGt
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) March 9, 2017
And if you’re wondering what the take home to all those proceedings was, here’s your answer:
At 4:30 a.m. after 17-hour mark-up, Ways and Means passed AHCA out of committee untouched.
— Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff) March 9, 2017