Among the standard GOP lies about TrumpCare-- promulgated by Ryan's office-- is that the process was not rushed or chaotic. When Ryan was on This Week with George Stephanopoulos Sunday morning, he responded to a question about the disorderly process by claiming such assertions are "a bogus attack from the left." Many Republicans have admitted they never read the bill; I suspect the majority hasn't read it and that the decisions most made to support it was a political calculation, not a decision based on policy considerations.One Republican who showed Ryan up as a liar was principled North Carolina conservative Walter Jones, one of the 20 Republicans to vote NO. He explained his vote on his official congressional website and Ryan's disjointed process poisoning the well played into his decision.
“For over seven years, I have heard from the people of Eastern North Carolina about their trials and frustrations with Obamacare. It is clear that Obamacare is not working. That is why I voted against the bill that created it in 2010, and have continuously voted to repeal it,” said Congressman Jones. “Now in 2017, for reasons I cannot understand, instead of moving a bill to repeal Obamacare and replace it with reforms that will fix our broken health care system, the Washington Republican leadership jammed a bill through the House that does neither. Furthermore, the rushed, behind-closed-doors process they’ve used is shameful. Over the past several weeks, they cut deal after deal to secure members’ support, and then pushed the bill to the floor without a CBO score. As a result, no one has any idea how much those deals will cost the American taxpayers, or how they might affect the cost, quality and availability of health insurance coverage for American families. Seven years ago, Speaker Nancy Pelosi infamously said of the Obamacare bill: ‘You have to pass the bill so we can find out what’s in it.’ Sadly, the Washington Republican leadership is repeating the same mistakes.” “Furthermore, there are many aspects of the bill that deeply trouble me because of their potential effects on Eastern North Carolina and rural America. For example, the bill discriminates against as many as 7 million American veterans by making them ineligible to receive tax credits provided in the bill. It would also result in low-to-middle income seniors paying dramatically higher premiums.”“Over the past two months, thousands of Eastern North Carolinians of all political stripes have contacted my office about the AHCA,” Congressman Jones concluded. “Well over 90 percent are opposed to the bill. I asked for this job to represent the people of Eastern North Carolina, and they have spoken clearly.”
And these are the most commonly used words by Americans to describe the GOP leaderHalfway across the state, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx represents a Piedmont district that includes part of Winston-Salem and points west. Foxx couldn't disagree more with Walter Jones and is a huge proponent of taking healthcare away from poor people. The DCCC doesn't target her-- not ever-- but this cycle, grassroots Democrats in NC-05 are ignoring the DCCC and going after Foxx themselves. Jenny Marshall is the progressive candidate in the race, endorsed by Blue America. She's working to hold Foxx accountable and make sure the district's voters know what her record really is all about. Jenny is making clear what Foxx's support of TrumpCare means for the district-- where 30,059 people will lose their coverage if TrumpCare is ever signed into law. Earlier today she reminded us that "Foxx once said 'There are no Americans who don’t have healthcare. Everybody in this country has access to healthcare.' She was wrong then and she is wrong now. There is no access when people cannot afford to buy healthcare insurance and cover the out of pocket expenses. There is no access when people wait for far too long to seek care because of the rising cost of doctors' visits, prescription costs and medical procedures. People have been priced out of the care they need, but Foxx has turned a blind eye. Her yes vote on the AHCA was confirmation of that. I on the other hand support moving to a single payer program that covers not only medical, but vision and dental care as well. We must step up and do what is right for the people of this country. Act now to send people to Congress who will represent the will of the people. Lives depend on it."
