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THE US HOUSE of Representatives has passed a bill that will repeal Obamacare.
Relieved Republicans muscled their health care bill through the House today, taking their biggest step toward dismantling the Obama health care overhaul since Donald Trump took office.
They won passage only after overcoming their own divisions that nearly sank the measure six weeks ago.
Jubilant Republicans, celebrating what they hope will soon be the demise of Obamacare, sang the pop song, Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye as the end of the voting neared.
The measure skirted through the House by a thin 217-213 vote, as all voting Democrats and a group of mostly moderate Republican holdouts voted no. A defeat would have been politically devastating for President Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan.
Passage was a product of heavy lobbying by the White House and Republicans leaders, plus late revisions that nailed down the final supporters needed. The bill now faces an uncertain fate in the Senate, where even GOP lawmakers say major changes are likely.
“Many of us are here because we pledged to cast this very vote,” Ryan said. He added, “Are we going to keep the promises that we made, or are we going to falter?”
Leaders rallied rank-and-file lawmakers at a closed-door meeting early by playing Eye of the Tiger, the rousing 1980s song from the Rocky III film.
Repeal
Republicans have promised to erase President Barack Obama’s law since its 2010 enactment, but this year — with Donald Trump in the White House and in full control of Congress — is their first real chance to deliver.
But polls have shown a public distaste for the repeal effort and a gain in popularity for Obama’s statute, and Democrats — solidly opposing the bill — said Republicans would pay a price in next year’s congressional elections.
“You vote for this bill, you’ll have walked the plank from moderate to radical,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, warning Republicans that voters would punish them. “You will glow in the dark on this one.”
The bitter health care battle dominated the Capitol even as Congress prepared to give final approval to a bipartisan $1 trillion measure financing federal agencies through September. The House passed that legislation Wednesday, and certain Senate passage will head off a weekend federal shutdown that both parties preferred to avoid.
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A politician who promises something and actually delivers it. Now build that wall!
@Declan Murphy: Didn’t he promise that “no one would be dying on the streets”
Hmmmm, I have an inkling that there will be a lotta lotta of body bags ..Sad.
@Declan Murphy: nothing has been repealed or replaced, a few provisions may be altered if all Republicans in the Senate agree but it’s an attempt, I’ll give him that
@Francis Mc Carthy: But they’ll be great body bags, the best body bags let me tell you
Tired of losing yet Dave & Francis?
@SolvableKnave: True! And as there is 75 million people with pre-existing conditions in the US,with the average cost of their health insurance at a whopping $35,000 a year!
Bigly- The Trump train will be all choo-choo- cough- splutter ,when the Republicans go back to their constituents .Yikes!
*that should be $30,000 a year
@Declan Murphy: he’s not delivering what he said though is he?
@Declan Murphy: Idiot. Price hikes on the way for the average family with a lot being priced out of private health insurance. Paul Ryan’s tax credits won’t work. All because the ginger nut hated a worthwhile legacy Obama created and saw it personally as something to target. Anyone who thinks repealing that or building a wall is a good idea is a f*cking tulip so fair play Declan, you’ve shown you have the intelligence of a gnat.
Donald Trump: “everybody is going to be covered, it’s not a very Republican thing to say because they don’t think it’s feasible to cover the poorest 25% but I will get everyone covered even if it loses me votes.” fast forward and he’s definitely not covering the poorest 25% and many more. He’s also lucky there are no coal mines for his new miners because being a miner is essentially a pre-existing condition
Bring back the RED THUMB!
@Kevin Hayes: Red tumbs and fwee ice-cweam for all!
I have a feeling that that singing could comeback to haunt them..
@Bigly: I do quite enjoy going for walks on the beach,but I’ve never have gotten “sand in my vagina”,maybe that is because I’m a male- you muppet!
@Francis Mc Carthy: men can have vaginas, Bill Nye said so.
@Big Lee: I don’t care what Bill Nye said,he hasn’t seen the size of my yuge c0CK .
@Francis Mc Carthy: Then what’s with all the bitchin?
@Joe Caulfield:
Could be one of those New Men.
@Joe Caulfield: he hasn’t had a win in so long Joe and it’s making him angry and bitter, bigly.
@Big Lee: I woke up this morning to the great news that Planned Parenthood were still winning bigly #savinglives
Donald Trump……….a man of his word.
The Democratic Party is in a shambles, falling apart. At this rate Trump is an absolute certainty to complete a second term of office.
#MAGA
@Jack Cassady: trolling is still pi$$ poor.
@Francis Mc Carthy:
Suck those lemons.
@Jack Cassady: I enjoy my duels with Jason,no enjoyment with you.
@Francis Mc Carthy: multi account troll calls others trolls. Lols Liamo, mega
@Francis Mc Carthy: I feel sorry for him. He is clearly a very unhappy individual.
@Jack Cassady: https://m.imgur.com/5M0CaRy
@Jack Cassady: You’re, no doubt, looking forward to his promised tax reforms, and the effect that will have on the Irish economy.
@John Horan: as long as it doesn’t effect his dole payments then I think Jack is going to be ok.
@Jack Cassady: Big League victory Jack, so much winning on board the Trump Train.
Ain’t Donald Trump’s fault if Ireland has built its economy on quicksand by facilitating global tax evasion on a grand scale, he’s just trying to do what’s best for America.
@Francis Mc Carthy:
That’s coz I don’t debate with you.
@Jack Cassady: because you know that I would destroy you :) Cool!
Some serious fighting talk going on !
@Suzie Sunshine: Do you think that I will outlast all of these useless pigeon trolls ?
@Francis Mc Carthy: possibly. . you do like to keep going. . A debate with you could last days! Although I do enjoy Jack’s comments too ..
The most intelligent contributors here are Trump supporters like Big Lee.
God forbid if I was a liberal I’d enjoy debating with him too.
@Jack Cassady: bahahaha
@Dave O Keeffe:
Your contributions are improving Dave.
Keep with the programme.
@Jack Cassady: yours are at the usual pointless troll level. I must admit, the consist uselessness of all of your profiles are a masterclass in redundancy
it wasn’t ‘Healthcare’, – it was compulsory health insurance.
@Charles Martel: that gave how many millions of people more affordable access to health care? Do tell…
@Alan: at the expense of millions who were booted off their chosen healthcare plan and saw their premiums jump as much as 116% to foot the bill for everyone else.
@Bigly : What benefits did their health insurance cover pre Obamacare ? Do tell.
@Big Lee: how many Americans gained health insurance because of Obamacare? Millions? Oh yeah, that’s right. How will lose it if this passes? Yup, your favourite answer, millions
Another win and the Trump Train keeps on rolling, get on board or get out of the way folks!
@Big Lee: it’s rolling on alright. nice how he still has time to drop bombs on the middle east though. Sure wouldn’t be America if it wansnt blowing other people’s shit up I suppose.
@Big Lee: Trump is nothing more than Putin’s sock puppet. Jail is coming.
https://zembla.vara.nl/dossier/uitzending/the-dubious-friends-of-donald-trump-the-russians
@Big Lee: what’s ironic and so hilarious, in a black-humour way, is it’s the older voters, those who voted for Trump in their droves, who’ll disproportionally suffer and die directly because of this, if it’s passed in the Senate. How ya like them Apples, old timers? You get the murdering politicians you deserve, Muppets!
Oh no, our TV screens will be full of Trump’s grinning, smug face for the next few days…Americans with one of the greatest wealth disparities in the first world hold that wealth is health and poverty is suffering.
@winston smith: ya Obama should of done much better in the 8 years he was in power
@Donal O Cofaigh: Well Trump should be doing ten times better than any president in history now, if everything he promised was even vaguely credible.
Can’t stump trump.
Rape, postpartum depression, cesarean sections, and surviving domestic violence are all considered preexisting conditions under the GOPs new health care bill. A lovely bunch of people.
@Alan: VERY Fake News!!
@Big Lee: did you read the bill? Did you actually read it?
@Deborah Behan: If the Republicans in Congress ain’t going to read it,there’s not a fat chance in hell that a TRump minion will..
Well done Trump. So refreshing to see a politician that actually delivers on their promises.
@John III Sobieski: Another Russian troll. It’s all coming down, Putin fluffer.
http://www.hpdetijd.nl/2017-05-04/terugkijken-zembla-donald-trump/
@John III Sobieski: Wefreshing like ice-cweam! Yay! :-)
This Bill still can’t pass the Senate. I truly doubt they could even get a heavily modified version through. Senate seats are state wide, not from gerrymandered districts stocked with loyalist fools. Senators from “purple” States can’t vote for this and stay in office.
For example, Rand Paul won’t vote for it, under any circumstance. Portman (Ohio), Murkowski (Alaska) and Gardner (Colorado) are on record as saying they will vote against this bill without major changes, which in turn wouldn’t pass in the House during reconciliation. And that’s just off the top of my head, there are about a dozen holdouts in total.
I’m not saying it’s impossible for this Bill to pass the Senate. Just the very next thing to impossible.
@John Considine: 100% correct. The GOP amended the bill a few days ago and it now needs a 60/40 vote on the Senate Floor. Already dead in the water. Trump is a prize fool. #sad
Pre-existing conditions which will cost higher premiums include domestic violence, sexual assault, c-sections and post natal depression. Oh and handicap children are well and truly effed just in case you didn’t know if he was really mocking that handicap man.
@Deborah Behan: but yay he repealed what the black man did.
@Deborah Behan: Fake news.
@Big Lee: easy to see the Trumpets that just cheer but don’t understand what it means for millions of Americans. Sad.
@Big Lee: Stupid people don’t have to offer an argument anymore – its just “fake news” and they win.
@Lisa Saputo: this will be Trump’s “Mission Accomplished” moment – might feel great right now, but this will be a disaster in the long run.
@Hakaman: Yeah, with immediate consequences
Go trumpppppppp
@Donal O Cofaigh: …to jail. The Dutch media are expediting the process. http://www.hpdetijd.nl/2017-05-04/terugkijken-zembla-donald-trump/
So they voted in a bill they have never read, with no idea of who it will impact, no idea of the quality of the insurance it provides , no idea of the cost and no idea of how many people will lose coverage. No independent validation.
And for this we pay them a salary.
Trump next 8 years… Pence in 8 years time…. and Ivanka 8 years after!!!
@Johnny Maloney: https://giphy.com/gifs/will-ferrell-wedding-crashers-J8Iqja8CXfMw8
@Plus Prom: get off the opiates lads
Big victory for the American Working Class.
It will be a very sad day for the poor senior citizens if this ever came to fruition,as they will see their premiums rising by anything up to 750% :(
Taking from the poor to give to the rich (Trump) :( which was the complete opposite to what Obama did :(
@Francis Mc Carthy: It couldn’t have gotten any worse than it already was. Obama gave to the poor by not giving anything to them, creating a Care Act that priced them out of any Healthcare making tens of millions of Americans take tax penalties instead while having no Healthcare. Unless you were very poor, if you were sick you were forced to take Healthcare and had to cough up $400 a month. Crippling!
@Guybrush Threepwood: You had working class who couldn’t afford the monthly premiums when their income was considered too high to qualify for reduced rates. Where minimal risk didn’t come into consideration in commanding what rate you paid. in addition if you weren’t employed by big business, which had company plans and special insurance rates, you were completely screwed.
@Guybrush Threepwood: “Obama gave to the poor by not giving anything to them ” Huh? 24 million people got health insurance,did you not know about this ?
“creating a Care Act that priced them out of any healthcare” – Hellllllllloooo,you do know that it’s not the Care Act that is driving up prices,that would be the ‘for profit insurance companies.’True story bro!
“making tens of thousands of people take tax penalties instead” – again,they wanted people to take out ‘ANY’ kind of health coverage..then you’d have had no penalties to worry about and still have some sort of health coverage.
Crippling is when one sees a bill for $85,000, to have just one treatment of chemotherapy..Crippling is when one becomes bankrupt and they lose their family home as they were not able to pay their medical bills..
And folks who weren’t getting insured by the small business that they were employed in,they were now able to get heavily subsidised insurance on the open market….
@Francis Mc Carthy: “24 million people got health insurance,did you not know about this?” Of course they did. But it’s not like they had a choice! A lot more people (the people who are not sick) decided to take tax penalties. Obamacare has been a disaster as the American people let us know!
“Hellllllllloooo,you do know that it’s not the Care Act that is driving up prices,that would be the ‘for profit insurance companies. ’True story bro!”
Um…are you seriously implying that insurance companies weren’t working in conjunction with the government at the implementation of the Care Act? Because incredibly it sounds like you are.
@Guybrush Threepwood: people tend to enjoy having health care …. so they don’t die and stuff..yes the insurance companies had a hand in this, so did the hospitals and doctors. the real answer is single payer
but you see, that was all Obama could get which was better than the old system, where people died because they had fook all insurance and could not get insurance at any price..
Anyway,I’m not too sure if they are getting rid of the penalties with “TrumpDon’tCare” .. However, the real issue is that they are repealing the tax on the rich which was used to pay for ACA. Now the rich get a massive tax break and everyone else gets fook all
Adios Amigo!
@Francis Mc Carthy: “people tend to enjoy having health care…so they don’t die and stuff…that was all Obama could get which was better than the old system”
You mean the old system where a lot more people actually had healthcare? Righto, from the very little actual information about the topic I was able to weed out you(considering 90% of your comments were waffle) I think I’ve established enough to my satisfaction that you haven’t the first clue about the implementation and effects of Obamacare.
@Guybrush Threepwood :
“You mean the old system where a lot more people actually had healthcare? Righto, from the very little actual information about the topic I was able to weed out you(considering 90% of your comments were waffle) I think I’ve established enough to my satisfaction that you haven’t the first clue about the implementation and effects of Obamacare.” -> LOL
The rate of insured climbed to 90% with mandated benefits like doctor visits, hospitalization, mental health, and prescriptions. What’s not to like for 24 million people insured?
Bad promises have a way of happening.
Remember the govt wanted to introduce the similar Dutch-model here but finally dropped the idea last year saying we couldnt afford it.
America does not want healthcare for all?
@Buster VL: No sure if you’re poor you deserve to die.
@Buster VL: The Republicans and the Democrat parties are owned by the pharmaceutical & insurance companies.And that is one of the main reasons why you will never have single payer in the US.
have your say