Senator Bernie Sanders not only opposes the GOP’s efforts to repeal Obamacare, but also their efforts to remain secretive during the drafting of the bill.
According to Sanders, the Republicans that are drafting the replacement bill are doing so behind closed doors, to avoid both public and professional scrutiny. Sanders finds this “completely unacceptable”:
“Nobody can defend a process, which will impact tens of millions of Americans, and nobody even knows what’s in the [legislation]…The reason they don’t want to bring it public is because it’s a disastrous bill, I suspect similar to what passed in the House.”
Sanders has also pointed out that any changes to our current health care system would impact one-sixth of the American economy. 23 million people could end up without health insurance.
Bernie appeared on CBS “Face the Nation” last week to discuss the situation:
.@BernieSanders sounds alarm on GOP health care legislation pic.twitter.com/8i6Xw2THNV
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) June 18, 2017
In order to bring a draft of the bill before the Senate for a vote before Congress leaves for August recess, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has attempted to fast-track the health bill. McConnell has implemented Senate “Rule 14” which allows for the Senate to bypass the committee process by placing it on the Senate calendar for a vote.
Senator Sanders says that even Republicans are being kept in the dark. He believes that this is because they don’t want the media involved (or the public for that matter):
“At the last minute they present it, they push it through and that is one sixth of the American economy and millions of people thrown off of health insurance. That is unacceptable.”
Sanders continues to call for transparency and for Democrats to “do everything they can” to keep the bill from passing.
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