'Callous, Clueless, Careless': Chuck Schumer Drops The Hammer GOP Over Healthcare Cuts In Budget

Forbes Breaking News

During remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke about cuts to healthcare in the Republican budget.

Transcript

00:00Let me begin this morning with a sobering headline from the New York Times.

00:05The Times headline,

00:07Millions would lose their Obamacare coverage under Trump's bill.

00:12That is exactly what Democrats have been warning about for weeks.

00:17What Republicans call their big, beautiful bill

00:19is really repeal and replace by another name.

00:24It's really repeal and replace by another name.

00:27It is a big, beautiful betrayal, not a big, beautiful bill.

00:33And yesterday we learned that the devastation potentially has only worsened.

00:38The nonpartisan CBO has now grown the number of impacted Americans to 16 million.

00:4616 million will lose their Medicaid and ACA coverage.

00:51So the more you look at this bill, things keep getting worse

00:54because CBO now says not 13.7 million will lose coverage, but 16 million.

01:00The number of impacted people grows the more you look at this bill.

01:04And things keep getting even worse.

01:08We learned yesterday the news that Republicans may want to even go after Medicare.

01:14Medicare is on the chopping block.

01:18That's right.

01:19At yesterday's lunch, Republicans raised the possibility of Medicare cuts

01:23to pay for their billionaire tax cuts.

01:27The junior senator from North Dakota reportedly said,

01:30quote,

01:30Why don't we go after that?

01:32I think we should.

01:34For Republicans to even suggest Medicare be cut to bankroll billionaire tax breaks

01:39is frightening and revolting.

01:43And there's more.

01:44The junior senator from Louisiana said,

01:47quote,

01:47I'm not worried about people losing their health care, unquote.

01:51You know what happens when people lose their health care,

01:54when they can't afford it?

01:56People die.

01:58But what do Republicans have to say about that?

02:02Well, the junior senator from Iowa said this,

02:05Well, we're all going to die.

02:09That quote tells you everything you need to know about this plan.

02:13Callous, clueless, careless.

02:17That's right.

02:18This plan is callous, clueless, and careless.

02:22But that's the Republican Party for you these days.

02:25They don't get it.

02:26Or more likely, they don't care.

02:29Just so long as billionaires can pay less in taxes.

02:34Republicans should forget calling this gargoyle of a bill

02:38their big, beautiful bill.

02:41They might as well call it

02:43the We're All Going to Die Act,

02:46after what the senator from Iowa said.

02:50At least that name is more honest.

02:55The We're All Going to Die Act.

02:58Donald Trump may claim this bill won't cut anyone from coverage,

03:02but he's lying.

03:0416 million people will lose coverage.

03:0711 million people will lose affordable food.

03:09Costs will spike.

03:10Hospitals will close.

03:11People will die.

03:13And why?

03:15For a tax break for billionaires.

03:17Now, let me finish with this on a separate note.

03:21In order to make the ultra-rich even richer,

03:25their bill, according to CBO,

03:27would add over $2.4 trillion to the debt.

03:31Even Elon Musk calls this thing

03:33an abomination, his word.

03:36As the old saying goes,

03:37a broken clock is right twice a day.

03:40Republicans pride themselves

03:42as the supposed party of fiscal responsibility.

03:47But this bill they have

03:50belongs on the Mount Rushmore

03:52of fiscally irresponsible bills.

03:56So, I close with a warning to Republicans in the Senate.

04:01If you proceed with this big, ugly bill,

04:04this big betrayal of the American people,

04:07it won't be Donald Trump's soothing words

04:10that will be enacted in your states,

04:12but rather deep and devastating cuts.

04:15Millions of job losses.

04:18You'll rip health care for millions,

04:20you'll explode the debt,

04:21and you'll shower billionaires with tax breaks.

04:24That's what you'll be doing,

04:25no matter what Donald Trump tells you on the telephone,

04:28I say to our Republican Senate colleagues.

04:31Tread carefully.

04:33Tread carefully.

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