Editorial boards slam House Republicans on Trumpcare: "Betrayal, carelessness, hypocrisy"

May 5, 2017

Yesterday, after voting to strip health coverage away from more than 24 million hard-working Americans, gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions,and hike premiums and out-of-pocket costs for millions more, House Republicans had a party at the White House Rose Garden with President Trump – celebrating the House passage of their immoral Trumpcare bill.

The reviews are in: editorial boards across the country have ripped into the bill to expose it for what it really is – a monstrous assault on the health care of hard-working American families, all while handing $600 billion in tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest Americans.

New York Times Editorial Board: The Trumpcare Disaster

On Thursday, in a display of breathtaking hypocrisy, House Republicans — without holding any hearings or giving the Congressional Budget Office time to do an analysis — passed a bill that would strip at least 24 million Americans of health insurance.

Groups representing doctors, hospitals, nurses, older people and people with illnesses like cancer opposed the bill. Just 17 percent of Americans supported an earlier version of the measure, and Republicans have made the legislation only worse since that poll was conducted. Neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Ryan seemed bothered by this overwhelming criticism of their Trumpcare bill, the American Health Care Act. They seemed concerned only about appeasing the House Freedom Caucus, the far-right flank of their party.

Washington Post Editorial Board: Betrayal, carelessness, hypocrisy: The GOP health-care bill has it all

What a betrayal: Republicans promise to maintain access to health insurance for people with preexisting medical conditions, and then on Thursday press a bill through the House that would eliminate those guarantees.

What a joke: Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) objects to the loss of protection, and then pretends that a paltry $8 billion over five years will fix the problem.

And what hypocrisy: House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) claims to be restoring fair process to his chamber, and then orchestrates a vote on this hugely consequential bill before the Congressional Budget Office can tell lawmakers what it would cost or how many people would lose access to health care as it took effect.

EDITORIALS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY:

USA TODAY: Trumpcare — a dog's breakfast of a bill: Our view

Fresno Bee: Under Trumpcare, you better never get sick

Mercury News: Editorial: House health bill has more failings than Trump has hotels

SF Chronicle: GOP pushes reckless rewrite of Obamacare that will harm millions

Boston Globe: The catastrophe of Trumpcare

Bloomberg: The Shame of the House

Sacramento Bee: Where to send the California Republicans who backed that awful Obamacare repeal

Merced Sun-Star: A celebration Republicans might regret

LA Times: The GOP insists its healthcare bill will protect people with pre-existing conditions. It won't

Kansas City Star: Editorial: The House votes to break health care. The Senate must fix it.

Penn Live: If you weren't sick already, the new TrumpCare bill is enough to make you ill: Editorial