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Trump Evan Vucci AP/Press Association Images

Republican introduces 'World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan' as politicians debate Trump proposals

Several major hospitals and medical organisations have opposed Trump’s plans.

A CONGRESSIONAL PANEL in the US has been debating Republicans’ plans to kill Obamacare for over 24 hours, highlighting deep divisions over the proposed health reforms.

Lawmakers from Republican President Donald Trump’s party hold a majority in both chambers of Congress, but many of those same lawmakers oppose the proposed legislation.

After 18 marathon hours of debate the House Ways and Means Committee earlier today became the first panel to approve the bill that would repeal and replace Democrat Barack Obama’s landmark health reforms.

However, the House Energy and Commerce Committee — a separate panel that began reviewing the legislation at the same time yesterday — was still going strong a full day later, with no end in sight, but plenty of weary faces among its 55 Democrats and Republican members.

“Tempers are probably fraying a little, and we’re all a little tired,” acknowledged Energy and Commerce chairman Greg Walden following testy exchanges over military veteran coverage in the proposed legislation.

Republican leaders have forged ahead with their proposal despite mounting opposition from within the party, heaping pressure on Trump as he faces resistance to his top legislative priority.

Trump has played down divisions, tweeting that the plan is “coming along great” and “will end in a beautiful picture“.

One of the bills being looked at is the ‘World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017′, which was introduced by Texas Representative Pete Sessions.

Republicans split 

“House healthcare bill can’t pass Senate w/o major changes,” Senator Tom Cotton tweeted earlier today, joining a host of other Senate Republicans opposed to the measure in its current form.

While Republicans hold a strong majority in the House, they hold a narrow 52-48 majority in the Senate.

“To my friends in House: pause, start over. Get it right, don’t get it fast,” Cotton added.

Republican leaders indicate they want to pass the bill by early April.

But the plan suffered a setback yesterday when several major hospitals and medical organisations — including the American Medical Association, which represents more than 200,000 doctors — opposed the Trump-supported American Health Care Act.

Backers say the legislation guts Obamacare’s mandates to purchase health care and rolls back its taxes.

Republican opponents, however, warn that the plan is too similar to Obamacare, and believe that it could cost even more.

Democrats, who are expected to oppose the bill with near-unanimity, say it would leave millions of poor and working-class Americans without health insurance.

© AFP 2017

Read: Trump targets critic by name on Twitter after Republican backlash to his health plan

Read: New round of bomb threats to Jewish community centres across the US

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    Mute mary carey
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    Aug 4th 2015, 5:31 PM

    While I’m not glad she’s gone, I’m glad she did not suffer. She was a gentle person who suffered greatly with grief after her husband passed. I’m glad she didn’t suffer

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    Mute paul farrell
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    Aug 4th 2015, 5:37 PM

    Old Skool saturday evening TV, RIP cilla

    234
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    Mute Eamonn O'Regan
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    Aug 4th 2015, 5:32 PM

    Rest in peace, luv- and thank you for the music.

    223
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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Aug 4th 2015, 8:13 PM

    @Eamonn O’Regan,
    Music? She sounded like a tomcat screeching.

    18
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    Mute Francid Dooley
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    Aug 4th 2015, 11:33 PM

    Yes she was not a grate singer but that dident stop her. Don’t let your handy cap stop you.

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    Mute Stephanie Phillips
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    Aug 6th 2015, 11:17 AM

    That’s such a cruel comment to make about another human being but judging by your inability to spell correctly, not surprised!!!

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    Mute Francid Dooley
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    Aug 4th 2015, 5:34 PM

    Poor old cilla, all the best in the next place.

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    Mute tom
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:27 PM

    If she entertained you all great but a casual review will tell you there were 2 Cilla’s.
    I’m sorry she’s died but I a bit perturbed by all this idolising. I think we need balance. Sorry to rain on anybody’s parade.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-444286/Surprise-Surprise–Cilla-nice-think.html

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    Mute Catherine
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:54 PM

    I don’t think that’s a casual review. More like a bit of click bait for a well know rag.

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    Mute Philip Horan
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:55 PM

    I think you’ll find it’s the same when every light entertainment figure dies. Nothing unusual about Cilla.

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    Mute Maria Conroy Byrne
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    Aug 4th 2015, 7:28 PM

    Funny how the interviewer could damn her completely in such a short space of time. It seems to me she was determined to write a negative article. I’m sure most of us have our good and bad days. RIP Cilla.

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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Aug 4th 2015, 7:59 PM

    ah Tom is a Irish thing everyone is a great bit of stuff when they pop their clogs no matters how much of a bollix they where in life.

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    Mute Trevor Weafer
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    Aug 4th 2015, 11:08 PM

    TV legend. Remember always watching her on blind date as a kid. True show biz performer. RIP Cilla.

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    Mute OneTrueVoice
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    Aug 4th 2015, 8:21 PM

    Of the 151,232 people who died the same day as Cilla … I hope they all had a peaceful passing.

    Something close to 151,231 are not on our radar.

    Many were of old age and natural causes. But too many were young, oppressed, tortured and died a horrific unjust death. But we don’t really care, do we.

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    Aug 4th 2015, 11:52 PM

    Don’t want to be picky but thats not a stroke, its a head injury. Irish coroners wouldn’t accept it as a stroke as there was head trauma. Stroke occurs due to the spontaneous occlusion or rupture of a cerebral vessel.

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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Aug 4th 2015, 8:11 PM

    She made a tiny bit of talent go a very long way, also she was supposed to have been really obnoxious. She would not even speak to the builders who were doing up her house

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    Mute OneTrueVoice
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    Aug 4th 2015, 8:25 PM

    Makes Tubridy and O’Connor even more wondrous.

    They make zero talent go to infinity. Cilla wasn’t even in their league.

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    Mute Ruth McCann
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    Aug 4th 2015, 11:42 PM

    have a bit of respect! she was such a kind lady, loved her fans, and had more talent than you, you troll!

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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Aug 5th 2015, 10:23 AM

    @Ruth McCann,
    Oh, so you knew her personally?

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    Mute Linny
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:57 PM

    In other words she fell over in a happy stupor. How lucky is Cilla?

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    Mute tom
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    Aug 4th 2015, 6:29 PM

    There are plenty of similar articles on the net but I guess most fans won’t want to read them, which is fair enough.

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    Mute tom
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    Aug 4th 2015, 7:02 PM

    There are loads of these articles. Just google them.

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Aug 5th 2015, 3:49 AM

    If you can’t say anything good about the dead say nothing.

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