Children, they’re all children
GOP plays ‘Rocky’ theme before they pass health-care bill Dems sing, ‘Na na hey hey goodbye’
Ladies and gentlemen, our elected officials. Republicans held a celebration at the White House for a bill that hasn’t passed the Senate yet, while Democrats mocked them on the floor with a schoolyard chant.
The House on Thursday finally voted to repeal and replace ObamaCare amid a circus atmosphere — with Republicans playing the “Rocky” theme before the ballot, a giddy President Trump hosting a GOP beer blast afterward and Democrats taunting GOPers in song.
The American Health Care Act squeaked through by a 217213 margin as the GOP erupted in cheers and Democrats responded by singing, “Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye,” the pop anthem chanted at losing teams and drunken miscreants escorted from arenas across the country. Democrats are convinced the vote will cost the GOP dearly in the 2018 midterms.
The vote — with 20 Republicans joining all of the Democrats in opposition — gave Trump his first major legislative victory and fulfilled one of his main campaign promises.
Later, at the Rose Garden party, the president savored his win.
“This is, make no mistake, this is a repeal and replace of ObamaCare. Make no mistake about it. Make no mistake,” a beaming Trump said. “Yes, premiums will be coming down. Yes, deductibles will be coming down. But very importantly, it’s a great plan and ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.”
Trump boasted that he was able to get the bill through even though he was a political outsider who had spent just over 100 days in office.
“And coming from a different world and only being a politician for a short period of time — how am I doing? Am I doing OK? I’m president. Hey, I’m president. Can you believe it? Right? I don’t know, it’s — I thought you needed a little bit more time. They always told me, more time. But we didn’t,” he said.
Trump confidently predicted that the measure would pass the Senate — where it faces substantial changes.
The upper chamber won’t even vote on the measure until it is “scored” by the Congressional Budget Office to determine how much it will cost and how it will affect people’s coverage.
But House Republicans were determined to savor their hardfought victory while it lasted.
Earlier Thursday, they psyched themselves up for the historic vote. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and the GOP leadership held a pep rally for rank-and-file members in the Capitol basement, The Hill reported.
Leaders played the “Rocky” theme song as lawmakers entered the meeting.
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) put up an image of George Patton on a monitor and barked inspirational quotes from the tough-talking general.
“Let’s get this f--king thing done!” Rep. Martha McSally (RAriz.) shouted at her colleagues, sources in the room told The Hill.
Just before the vote, Ryan pointed to the lengthy battle that was about to reach its climax in the House. “A lot of us have been waiting seven years to cast this vote,” he said.
Afterward, Trump said it was clear during the campaign last year that ObamaCare was on its last legs. “No matter where I went, people were suffering so badly with the ravages of ObamaCare,” he said. “I said it’s failing. And now it’s obvious it’s failing,” he said. “It’s dead. It’s essentially dead.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelsoi predicted the vote would come back to haunt Republicans because it would fail in the Senate and House GOP members would be left holding the bag at election time. ”They have this vote tattooed on them. This is a scar they will carry. This is their vote,” Pelosi (D-Calif.) said.
The Republican plan had been revised since Ryan pulled an earlier version of the bill in March after more conservative members in the House Freedom Caucus said it didn’t go far enough to outright repeal and replace Obama’s signature plan.
A new provision allows states to get waivers to drop essential medical benefits mandated under ObamaCare like maternity and outpatient care. As part of that, states would be able to raise premiums for those with pre-existing conditions, creating highrisk pools, in an effort to try to reduce costs.
When some moderate Republicans balked at the lack of coverage of pre-existing conditions, GOP leaders added $8 billion over five years to fund those high-risk pools.