The GOP’s attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare has gone down in flames. For the second time in two days, Republican leaders pulled their bill from the House floor when it became clear the votes to pass the much promised legislation was headed for a humiliating defeat.
What happens next is anybody’s guess.
Will Republicans, after seven years of attacking Obamacare and over 60 House votes to repeal the law, just move on?
The Republican healthcare bill, sometimes known as Trumpcare, sometimes Ryancare, was disliked by both moderate and conservative Republicans … but for different reasons. Moderates were against the bill’s harsh treatment of Americans enjoying the benefits of Obamacare. For conservatives, the bill was despised because it wasn’t harsh enough.
One thing’s for sure. Donald Trump will not take the blame for this humiliating turn of events. The fact that Trump resisted calling the GOP bill “Trumpcare” tells you all you need to know about how committed the president was to the legislation in the first place.
For Trump, the bill’s passage was always more about racking up a big win than actually effecting policy. Some political pundits even questioned Trump’s knowledge of the bill and how it would disproportionally affect the very people who helped get him elected.
The smart money is on Trump blaming the debacle on Obama and the Democrats. Can anyone actually rule out Fox News finding a way to blame Benghazi or Clinton’s email server for the defeat?
If Trump follows through on his plan to spend another weekend golfing at his luxury Mar-a-Lago resort, he’ll have plenty of time to clear his head and think about the next big thing on his agenda … tax reform.
You can be sure Republican lawmakers will be on board with another attempt at “trickle down” economics… or as Hillary Clinton called it on the campaign trail, “Trumped up, trickle down” economics.
Photo | politicususa.com
Charles Sloane says
Ryan already blamed the Dems for this contrived bill’s defeat. It’s only a matter of a news cycle before Drumpf and his sycophants blame this failure on Obama, Clinton, FDR and a Chinese Hoax.
John DeProspo says
The reason their bill failed is that even low-information Trump voters know dog poop when they see it.