It’s been two years since Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans brought their reckless plans to repeal the health care law and gut coverage protections for pre-existing conditions to the Senate floor, and their agenda hasn’t changed. To highlight the two-year anniversary of these failed votes, the DSCC released a new video today featuring vulnerable GOP incumbents trying to defend their agenda and touting their vows to “keep trying” to take our health care system “back to the way it was before” when people were discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition.
When asked last year about supporting a plan that “significantly reduced protections for people with pre-existing conditions,” Senator Thom Tillis even called the vote “courageous.”
Watch the new online video here.
The DSCC has consistently called out the GOP’s reckless attacks on Americans’ care, running digital ads this year holding Republicans accountable for their toxic health care records. Two years after their failed attempt to repeal the health care law that has helped millions, Republicans still “have no credibility” on voters’ “most important” issue.
Video Script:
Senator Mitch McConnell: “Obamacare should be repealed root and branch, and I want you to know we’re not backing down from this fight.”
Text on Screen: Two years ago, Republicans brought their repeal bill to gut protections for pre-existing conditions and other health benefits to the Senate floor.
Senator David Perdue: “We want to repeal as much as we can repeal.”
Senator Thom Tillis: “I’ve voted for an outright repeal, people ask me why I voted for it this week, I said because I made that promise, I did it in 2015, I’ll do it every time it comes to the floor.”
Anchor: “You have said on the record before that it’s not your preference to do a repeal without a replacement at this time, but if push came to shove and that was the way to get it done, would you go down that path?”
Senator Cory Gardner: “We’ll see. I think I’m going to support whatever it is that actually gets closer to repeal and replace.”
Reporter: “One of the things in this bill is that it would allow insurance companies to charge up to 66% more to older, sicker patients. How does that control costs?”
Senator Joni Ernst: “Well, it is proposed right now. It is going back to the way it was before Obamacare.”
Anchor: “The fact is that the repeal and replace bill which Republicans pushed repeatedly significantly reduced protections for people with pre-existing conditions.”
Senator Thom Tillis: “Well Chris, that’s actually one of the reasons why I think it was a courageous vote. The first thing we have to do is to take out the underpinnings of the Affordable Care Act.”
Reporter: “It’s a simple yes or no, will you vote to weaken pre-existing conditions?”
Unelected Senator Martha McSally: “It’s complicated.”
Reporter: “It’s not, no it really isn’t that complicated.”
McSally: “You know what Brahm… yeah we gotta go.”
Reporter: “If this health care bill does not pass, what’s next? Senator McConnell has — some say it was a threat, but Senator McConnell has said it means you’re going to have to work with the Democrats. Is that what happens?”
Senator John Cornyn: “Well, if we’re not successful now, I assume we’ll keep trying.”
Text on Screen: The only way to protect our health care is taking back the Senate.
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