>> NO ONE IS BETTER AT EMBARRASSING DONALD TRUMP THAN
DONALD TRUMP, AND HE DID IT TONIGHT WITH THE AUSTRALIAN
PRIME MINISTER, WHOSE NAME HE COULD NOT REMEMBER.
>> I SHOULDN'T SAY THIS TO OUR GREAT GENTLEMAN AND MY FRIEND
FROM AUSTRALIA, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BETTER HEALTH CARE THAN WE DO.
>> AND THE PRESIDENT IS RIGHT. AUSTRALIA DOES HAVE BETTER
HEALTH CARE THAN WE DO. BECAUSE THEY HAVE UNIVERSAL
COVERAGE. AND TODAY HOUSE REPUBLICANS
VOTED TO MAKE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE COVERAGE MUCH, MUCH WORSE.
WE SAW SOMETHING TODAY THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
A BASEBALL TEAM RAN OUT ON THE FIELDD AND STARTED CELEBRATING
VICTORY AND MAKING SPEECHES AND CONGRATULATING EACH OTHER
BECAUSE IT WAS THE END OF THE FIRST INNING.
AND THEY WERE AHEAD BY ONE RUN. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
IN THE WHITE HOUSE ROSE GARDEN TODAY.
SOMETHING WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
A FEW DOZEN MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GOING UP TO
THE WHITE HOUSE FOR A PUBLIC CELEBRATION OF THE PASSAGE OF A
BILL IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONLY.
WE HAVE NEVER, EVER SEEN THAT BEFORE.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DO NOT GO UP TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO CELEBRATE
THE PASSAGE OF A BILL UNTIL THE BILL IS READY TO BE SIGNED BY
THE PRESIDENT. IN OTHER WORDS, UNTIL IT'S
PASSED THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. THE BILL SIGNING AT THE WHITE
HOUSE IS THE FIRST AND THE LAST CELEBRATION OF THE BILL AT THE
WHITE HOUSE. THE REPUBLICANS HAVE SO LITTLE
CONFIDENCE THAT THERE WILL EVER BE A BILL SIGNING AT THE WHITE
HOUSE THAT THEY DECIDED TO HAVE THEIR BIG CELEBRATION TODAY.
AT THE END OF THE FIRST INNING. THE BILL THAT PASSED THE HOUSE
TODAY NOW GOES TO THE SENATE. THE SENATE IS ABSOLUTELY NOT
GOING TO PASS THE BILL THAT THE HOUSE JUST PASSED.
>> IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR AN UP OR DOWN VOTE IN THE SENATE ON
THE BILL AS WRITTEN TO GET IT QUICKLY PASSED AND MOVE QUICKLY
PAST THE ISSUE FOR REPUBLICANS? >> NO.
>> ZERO. >> I LOVE TALKING.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT'S GOING TO WORK.
>> IF SOME KIND OF OBAMACARE REPEAL AND REPLACE BILL DOES GET
THROUGH THE SENATE, THE BILL, THE SENATE BILL WOULD THEN HAVE
TO GO THROUGH A THIRD STAGE, A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MADE UP OF
MEMBERS OF HOUSE AND SENATE WOULD THEN GET TOGETHER AND
COMBINE THE TWO HOUSE BILLS. THE HOUSE BILL, THE SENATE BILL.
COMBINE THOSE TWO. PRODUCE A BRAND-NEW THIRD BILL.
AND THEN THAT THIRD BILL WOULD HAVE TO THEN PASS THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES AGAIN. AND THEN PASS IN IDENTICAL FORM
THROUGH THE UNITED STATES SENATE WITHOUT CHANGING ONE WORD.
NOW, MANY BILLS DON'T MAKE IT THROUGH ALL OF THOSE STAGES.
MANY BILLS PASS THE HOUSE, NEVER PASS THE SENATE.
JUST DIE IN THE SENATE. SOME BILLS PASS THE HOUSE, THEY
PASS THE SENATE, AND THEN THEY DIE IN THAT CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE. AND SO TONIGHT THE LIKELIHOOD IS
THAT PAUL RYAN WAS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME WHEN HE FAILED TO GET
A VOTE ON HIS BILL IN THE HOUSE. >> I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY
OTHER THAN OBAMACARE IS THE LAW OF THE LAND.
IT'S GOING TO REMAIN THE LAW OF THE LAND UNTIL IT'S REPLACED.
>> IN THE ROSE GARDEN TODAY, 12 REPUBLICANS SPOKE.
ONLY ONE OF THEM MADE A SPECIFIC PROMISE ABOUT WHAT THIS BILL
WOULD DO. >> YES, PREMIUMS WILL BE COMING
DOWN. YES, DEDUCTIBLES WILL BE COMING
DOWN. >> AND OF COURSE THAT'S NOT
TRUE. IF THIS BILL EVER DID BECOME
LAW, NONE OF THAT WOULD HAPPEN. BUT THIS, THIS WAS THE BIGGEST
LIE DONALD TRUMP TOLD TODAY. >> WE WILL HAVE GREAT, GREAT
HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE IN OUR NATION.
>> NO. NO, WE WON'T.
WE DO NOT NOW. WE DON'T HAVE UNIVERSAL COVERAGE
NOW, AND WE'RE GOING HAVE LESS COVERAGE IF THAT BILL EVER
BECAME LAW. NO OTHER REPUBLICAN WAS FOOLISH
ENOUGH TO MAKE SUCH A RIDICULOUS STATEMENT.
THAT BILL NEEDED 216 VOTES TO PASS THE HOUSE.
IT GOT 217. AND THE REASON PAUL RYAN
INSISTED ON 217 IS THAT HE DIDN'T WANT DEMOCRATS TO BE ABLE
TO ACCUSE 216 REPUBLICANS OF CASTING THE DECIDING VOTE.
AND HE THINKS THAT MATHEMATICAL TRICK OF ADDING ONE MORE VOTE TO
THE TOTAL ACTUALLY IMMUNIZES 216 REPUBLICANS FROM BEING ACCUSED
OF CASTING THE DECIDING VOTE. TELL THAT TO THESE PEOPLE.
>> DO YOUR JOB! >> YEAH, DO YOUR JOB!
>> ANSWER THE QUESTION, ANSWER THE QUESTION!
>> REPUBLICANS DID SOMETHING THAT THEY PROMISED NOT TO DO.
>> I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD PASS BILLS THAT WE HAVEN'T READ THAT
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY COST. >> THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH
THIS BILL COSTS. THEY DID NOT WAIT FOR AN
ESTIMATE FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE.
WITHOUT A CBO SCORE OF THIS BILL, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
VOTING ON. REPUBLICANS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
THEY JUST VOTED ON. AND ONE REASON THAT THEY COULD
DO THAT IS THAT THEY DON'T EXPECT IT TO BECOME LAW.
THEY DON'T EXPECT TO EVER HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE RESULTS OF THE
VOTE THAT THEY CAST TODAY. HERE IS REPUBLICAN TOM GARRETT
GIVING STEPHANIE RUHLE A VERY HONEST ANSWERNSWER TO THE QUESTF
HAVE YOU EVEN READ THE BILL? >> HAVE YOU READ THE WHOLE BILL?
>> OH, GOSH, LET'S PUT HIT THE WAY.
PEOPLE IN MY OFFICE HAVE READ ALL THE PARTS OF THE BILL.
I DON'T THINK ANY INDIVIDUAL HAS READ THE WHOLE BILL.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE STAFF. >> AND THAT'S TRUE.
MOST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, MOST SENATORS NEVER READ ANY BILLS.
THAT IS WHY THEY HAVE STAFF. AND THAT IS WHY MOST OF THEM
HATE THAT QUESTION. >> CONGRESSMAN, HAVE YOU READ
THE BILL YET? >> YEAH, YEAH.
>> YOU HAVE? >> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
>> MORNING, GENTLEMEN. HAVE YOU READ THIS BILL
CONGRESSMAN? >> WE'RE IN A HURRY.
WE'LL BE BACK. >> HAVE YOU READ THE BILL THAT
YOU'RE VOTING ON TODAY? DID YOU READ THE BILL?
HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE BILL?
>> I'M FINISHING READING HIT THE MORNING.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE ON IT BEFORE READING IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT. >> AS REPORTED HERE LAST NIGHT,
MANY DEMOCRATS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LEADERSHIP OF CONGRESS WERE
HAPPY TO SEE THE BILL PASS THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TODAY,
AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT PASS THE SENATE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THE
217 VOTES THAT THIS BILL GOT ARE
THE BEST WEAPON THAT THEY HAVE AGAINST REPUBLICANS IN THE 2018
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS. SO WHEN THE BILL PASSED, THE
HOUSE DEMOCRATS COULD NOT RESIST, SINGING GOODBYE TO THE
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS WHO THEY HOPE TO DEFEAT BECAUSE OF THE VOTE
THAT THEY CAST TODAY. ♪ NAH NAH NAH NAH, HEY HEY,
GOODBYE ♪ >> JOINING US NOW, THE FORMER
PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.
JOHN HEILEMANN, CO-AUTHOR OF "GAME CHANGE" AND CO-HOST OF
"THE CIRCUS" ON SHOWTIME. AND CHARLIE SYKES,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF RIGHT WISCONSIN AND AN MSNBC
CONTRIBUTOR. I WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION
FIRST AS TO WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS BILL THAT PASSED THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES TODAY, AND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN IF IT BECAME LAW.
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON, LAWRENCE.
SO LET ME FIRST SAY THAT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT DID
SOMETHING REMARKABLE. IT BROUGHT OUR INSURANCE RATE
DOWNS TO THE LOWEST LEVEL WE'VE EVER SEEN IN HISTORY AT 8%.
THIS BILL WOULD REVERSE THOSE CHANGES.
REVERSE THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSURANCE WE'VE SEEN OVER THE
PAST SEVERAL YEARS. NUMBER ONE, WHAT IT WOULD DO IS
EVISCERATE MEDICAID. IT WOULD RESULT IN APPROXIMATELY
A 25% CUT IN MEDICARE FUNDING. SO THOSE STATES THAT ADOPTED
MEDICAID WOULD BE DEFUNDED, AND THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY FURTHER
EXPANSION THAT WOULD MEAN THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, UP TO 14
MILLION PEOPLE WHO ARE ON MEDICAID WOULD BE WITHOUT
INSURANCE. AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE
IN OUR OFFICE WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS.
THEY'RE ELDERLY. THEY'RE POOR, AND THEY'RE SICK.
AND THEY NEED, THEY NEED GOOD HEALTH CARE.
NUMBER TWO, WHAT IT WOULD DO IS PUT A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
INTO THESE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS POOLS, INSURANCE
POOLS. AND WE KNOW THAT 23% OF PEOPLE
IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE A PREEXISTING CONDITION.
AND THESE FOLKS WOULD BE IN A POOL THAT WOULD BE VERY
EXPENSIVE, WOULD OFFER SOME LIMITED COVERAGE, AND WOULD HAVE
LONG WAIT TIMES TO GET SERVICE. AND NUMBER THREE, WHAT THIS BILL
ALSO DOES IS IT ALLOWS STATES TO OPT OUT OF ESSENTIAL BENEFITS.
ESSENTIAL BENEFITS AS SIMPLE AS MATERNITY CARE OR HOSPITAL CARE
OR EMERGENCY ROOM CARE OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE CARE.
AND THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT BENEFITS FOR OUR PATIENTS GOING
FORWARD. AND FINALLY, WHAT THE BILL DOES
THAT IS ALSO RATHER EGREGIOUS IS THAT IT SEPARATES OUT PEOPLE WHO
ARE OLDER FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE POORER IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT --
IN TERMS OF THE RATE OF INSURANCE THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY.
UP TO FIVE TIMES MORE FOR OLDER FOLKS VERSUS YOUNGER FOLKS.
FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE WHO IS 64 YEARS OLD AND MAKES $26,000 A
YEAR COULD END UP PAYING $14,000 A YEAR IN HEALTH INSURANCE.
NOW I DON'T THINK THAT $2,000 OR $4,000 TAX CREDITS TOWARDS THAT
14,000 REALLY HELPS TOO MUCH. SO WE REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS
A FLAWED BILL. AND IT'S A BILL THAT DOES
TREMENDOUS HARM. AND WE HAVE A PRINCIPLE IN
MEDICINE THAT IS FIRST WE DO NO HARM.
AND WE THINK THIS BILL DOES TREMENDOUS HARM.
WE HOPE THAT ONCE IT GETS TO THE SENATE, THAT THE SENATE WILL
REALLY LOOK AT THE ACA AND SAY LET'S IMPROVE ON THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT AND NOT ACT ON THE AAHCA.
>> ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING POLITICAL PHENOMENON OF THE DAY
WAS THAT THERE WERE SOME SO-CALLED MODERATE REPUBLICANS
WHO WERE OPPOSED TO A MORE MODERATE, MORE GENEROUS VERSION
OF THIS BILL. WHO THEN VOTED FOR THIS CRUELLER
VERSION, TO USE THE SHORTHAND. I'M GOING TRY OUT MY THEORY ON
YOU ABOUT WHY THEY DID THAT AND WHAT THE CLOSING ARGUMENT WOULD
BE ON THAT. AND IT WOULD BE ALL ABOUT TAX
CUTS. MEANING WE WON'T BE ABLE TO MOVE
ON TO OUR SO-CALLED TAX REFORM BILL, WHICH IS REALLY JUST A
GIANT TAX CUT BILL. WE CAN'T DO THAT UNTIL WE GET
THE BOOKKEEPING DONE ON THIS OBAMACARE STUFF.
WE'VE GOT TO REPEAL ALL THOSE TAXES IN OBAMACARE.
WE'VE GOT TO CUT ALL THAT SPENDING IN OBAMACARE SO THAT WE
CAN APPLY THAT SPENDING SAVINGS TO OUR BIG TAX CUT PACKAGE AS WE
MOVE DOWN THE ROAD. AND SO YOU, MR. REPUBLICAN
MODERATE CONGRESSMAN, WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO VOTE ON OUR BIG TAX
CUT UNLESS YOU VOTE ON THIS FIRST STAGE OF THE TAX CUT IN
OBAMACARE. AND BY THE WAY, THE SENATE MIGHT
NEVER PASS THIS HEALTH CARE THING, AND YOU WON'T HAVE TO
LIVE WITH THE RESULTS. >> LAWRENCE, I'M GOING SAY THE
TWO WORDS THAT I KNOW YOU LIKE BETTER THAN ANY OTHER.
YOU ARE RIGHT. ACTUALLY, THAT'S THREE WORDS.
>> I'LL TAKE IT. I DON'T CARE HOW MANY WORDS IT
IS. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, JOHN
HEILEMANN. TAKE YOUR TIME!
>> I WILL SAY I'VE BEEN MAKING THIS ARGUMENT, AND OTHERS HAVE
BEEN MAKING THIS ARGUMENT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW THAT THIS IS
THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE REVIVING THE PUSH TO GET THIS
BILL THROUGH THE HOUSE AFTER DONALD TRUMP SAID WHEN THE BILL
COLLAPSED THE FIRST TIME, WE'RE MOVING ON.
HE SAID WE'RE MOVING ON. WE'RE GOING TO GO DO TAX REFORM.
AND THEY LOOKED UP AND SAID YOU KNOW WHAT?
IT'S NOT THAT EASY. TRUMP WAS READY TO CUT AND RUN
AND GET ON TO THE NEXT THING. BUT GETTING ON TO THE NEXT THING
FOR REASONS BOTH POLITICS AND ACTUARIALS IN THE HOUSE REQUIRES
GETTING THIS DONE. SO THE TAX REFORM PUSH IS WHAT'S
BEHIND THIS. I THINK LARGELY.
THE OTHER THING, AND I TALKED THE A LOFT MODERATE MEMBERS AND
OTHER MEMBERS IN THE HOUSE WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS
LAST WEEK AND NOW THIS WEEK IN THE WHIPPING PROCESS, THERE WAS
ONE OTHER SIMPLER THING, NOT JUST THE TAX CUT DYNAMIC, BUT
ALSO JUST THE SIMPLE WORDS "WE GOT TO WIN ONE FOR THE TEAM."
AND YOU HEARD, THAT WAS THE MESSAGE THAT WAS BEING DELIVERED
OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO THE MODERATE MEMBERS.
AND EVENTUALLY THEY DECIDED TO CAPITULATE ON THAT FRONT.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT IS A VERY SHORTSIGHTED VIEW OF WHAT
WINNING MEANS. AND I THINK THIS ALMOST DEFINES
THE NOTION OF A PYRRHIC VICTORY, WHAT THEY MANAGED TO REGISTER
TODAY. >> WELL, CHARLIE, THE CLEAR
MESSAGE THAT THEY BELIEVE THIS IS A WIN IS THAT THEY HAD A
VICTORY CELEBRATION. >> YEAH.
>> THEY HAD A VICTORY CELEBRATION AT THE END OF THE
FIRST INNING OF THE LEGISLATIVE GAME.
AND WE'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE.
I SAID WHEN I SAW THIS, I IMMEDIATELY ASKED EVERYONE,
PLEASE CHECK, WHEN IS THE LAST TIME THE HOUSE WENT UP AND
CELEBRATED JUST HOUSE PASSAGE OF A BILL.
NO ONE COULD FIND THAT IT HAD EVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE IT WAS A REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN
FROM KENTUCKY WHO SAID THAT THIS BILL WAS SORT OF LIKE PASSING A
KIDNEY STONE. AND THE HOUSE JUST WANTED TO GET
IT OUT. THEY DIDN'T REALLY CARE WHAT IT
WAS. BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT AN
EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT FOR CONSERVATIVES.
BECAUSE CONSERVATIVES NOT ONLY USED TO BELIEVE IN SMALL
GOVERNMENT, BUT THEY ALSO USED TO BELIEVE IN PRUDENCE.
THEY USED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON SHOULD BE
VERY CAUTIOUS AND MODEST WHEN TINKERING WITH 1/6 OF THE
ECONOMY. AND I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT WHEN YOU SAID THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID.
LITERALLY, I DON'T THINK THEY KNOW WHAT THEY DID IN TERMS OF
THE COST OR THE IMPACT ON THE PUBLIC.
IT'S SORT OF LIKE TAKING OFF IN AN AIRPLANE FULL OF PASSENGERS
WITHOUT CHECKING TO SEE WHETHER YOU HAVE ALL THE FLUIDS AND
WHETHER THE BRAKES IN FACT WORK. SO NEXT WEEK YOU'RE GOING TO GET
THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE SCORING.
BUT A LOT OF THOSE CONGRESSMEN HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE
CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT THEY VOTED FOR.
AND THAT SOUND BITE FROM PAUL RYAN IS, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO SAY
THAT GETS ME. I'M A CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR
AND A SUPPORTER OF PAUL RYAN. I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER BACK
WHEN EVERY REPUBLICAN IN AMERICA WOULD HAVE SAID WHAT PAUL RYAN
WAS SAYING, WHAT LINDSEY GRAHAM SAID TODAY.
YOU FIND OUT WHAT'S IN THE BILL BEFORE YOU PASS THE BILL,
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH HIGH STAKES.
NOT JUST POLITICALLY, BUT IN TERMS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES, IN
TERMS OF LIFE AND DEATH. >> JOHN, I THINK CHARLIE WAS
PRETTY MUCH SURE WHEN PAUL RYAN BECAME SPEAKER YOU WOULD NOT SEE
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTE ON A BILL WITH NO CBO
SCORE. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
SURE OF THAT. >> RIGHT.
>> THIS WAS THE DAY THEY DID IT. >> YEAH, LOOK.
AS CHARLIE REMEMBERS, THIS WAS A POINT OF MOCKERY THAT
REPUBLICANS -- >> OH, YEAH.
>> -- THE REPUBLICANS MOCKED DEMOCRATS OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN
THE PASSAGE OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT FOR NOT HAVING READ THE
BILL. AND OF COURSE PAUL RYAN HAS BEEN
A DEVOTEE, A FETISHISTIC DEVOTEE OF THE CBO FOR DECADES.
THE FACT THAT HE IS THROWING OVER THE IMPORTANCE OF NUMBERS,
THE IMPORTANCE OF SCORING, JUST CASTING ALL THAT TO THE WIND,
IT'S SO FUNDAMENTALLY AT ODDS WITH WHAT PAUL RYAN HAS STOOD
FOR SUCH A LONG TIME. AND THERE IS NO ANALOGY THAT I
KNOW OF WHERE THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE HAVE GONE UP TO THE WHITE
HOUSE AND CELEBRATED A BILL FOR JUST PASSING IT THROUGH THE
LOWER CHAMBER. BUT THERE IS I THINK A PARALLEL
HERE. AND I'M THINKING ABOUT MAY OF
2003 WHEN GEORGE W. BUSH STOOD ON THAT AIRCRAFT CARRIER IN
FRONT OF THAT SIGN THAT SAID MISSION ACCOMPLISHED IN IRAQ.
AND HE RUED THAT DAY FOR YEARS THEREAFTER AS THE IRAQ WAR
TURNED INTO THE DISASTER IT TURNED INTO, DECLARING VICTORY
EARLY ON SOMETHING REALLY BIG LIKE THE IRAQ WAR OR REPEALING
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS THING TO DO
POLITICALLY. THOSE PICTURES FROM TODAY WILL
BE IN A LOT OF ADS IN 2018. >> A LOT OF ADS.
>> AND MAYBE IN 2020. >> DR. DAMLE, IF YOU GOT THE 30
SECONDS ON THE SENATE ELEVATOR IN THE CAPITOL GOING UP THREE
FLOORS WITH A SENATOR, YOU JUST HAD THAT ONE MOMENT TO TALK TO A
SENATOR, A REPUBLICAN SENATOR ABOUT THIS, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL
THAT SENATOR? >> WELL, NUMBER ONE IS THATT YO
DO NEED TO GET A CBO SCORE. YOU CANNOT PASS ANY BILL WITHOUT
A CBO SCORE. BUT NUMBER TWO IS THIS IS
IRRESPONSIBLE. IT REALLY AFFECTS OUR PATIENTS.
THESE ARE PATIENTS' LIVES THAT ARE AT STAKE.
THESE PATIENTS HAVE CHRONIC CONDITIONS.
THEY CAN GET CANCER AND NOT BE PROPERLY COVERED.
THEY CAN GO BANKRUPT. WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO IMPROVE
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT SO THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE
BETTER HANDLED. THE MARKET CAN BE BETTER
HANDLED. COVERAGE CAN BE IMPROVED.
BUT NOT THROUGH THE AHCA. >> WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK HERE.
DR. NITIN