105 days into the Trump Administration, the Republican House narrowly passed its first bill (217-213, no Democrats). It’s basically a $600 billion tax cut (over 10 years) for people earning more than $200k/ couples $250k, sure to take health care away from as many as 25% of Medicaid* recipients. The bill has not even been assessed by the Congressional Budget Office for its financial impact, and its impact on the health-care industry, which is one-sixth of the US economy. That assessment is only due next week. Hospitals, doctors and insurers alike criticized the Republican health care bill.
It was so appalling to me to watch Trump at the podium in the Rose Garden ‘celebration party’ today, with the Republicans patting each other on the back, that I just turned the TV off. Later on in New York City, meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull – whose name Trump could not recall, saying ‘the great gentleman from Australia’ (give me a break), he said that Australia has better health care than the United States, and ‘we are going to have great health care, very soon’. (Which is not true, not with this proposed legislation).
The US Senate now has to handle the stink bomb of a tax cut bill masquerading as a ‘health-care improvement’ bill, lobbed over the fence by the House. The Senate will hopefully kill it or revised it completely.
*Medicaid provides health coverage to 69 million Americans, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.
