Liberal celeb SLAMMED for lying about senator

Liberal celeb SLAMMED for lying about senator

September 20, 2017

Share

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel tried to use a tough-talking conservative as a comedic punching bag — but he’s finding out this politician punches back.

Sen. Bill Cassidy defended his healthcare bill Wednesday after Kimmel accused the Louisiana Republican of lying to him about it, heightening the tension around the last-ditch GOP effort to make good on years of promises to repeal “Obamacare.”

Sponsored: 1934 Christian prophecy warned about “alt-left”!?

“I am sorry he does not understand,” Cassidy said on CNN, and explained that his bill would in fact protect people with pre-existing conditions, a claim that Kimmel said wasn’t true. “I think the price will actually be lower.”

“This guy Bill Cassidy just lied right to my face,” Kimmel said on his ABC show Tuesday night, referring to Cassidy’s promises to Kimmel and others that his health bill would pass the “Jimmy Kimmel test.” Cassidy coined the phrase to mean that people with pre-existing conditions would have protections and not face lifetime caps on coverage from insurers.

The back-and-forth between the lawmaker and the entertainer came as President Donald Trump and Senate GOP leaders pushed for votes to pass the legislation by the end of next week. If Senate Republicans don’t succeed by Sept. 30, the bill will lose special legislative protections from Democratic filibusters that expire at the end of the fiscal year.

BREAKING: 4 shampoo brands cause Alzheimer’s disease (sponsored)

With Democrats unanimously opposed, the GOP’s years-long quest to repeal and replace Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act would once again collapse… this time perhaps for good.

In other words, it’s time for “the swamp” to get it’s act together… or time will run out.

Trump took to Twitter Wednesday to urge support for the bill, which was co-authored by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Sponsored: Did you drink THIS last night (kills testosterone levels)

The president also took a gentle shot at GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has announced his opposition to the bill, arguing it doesn’t go far enough in repealing the 2010 health law.

Underscoring the administration’s focus on the issue, Vice President Mike Pence stepped out of the U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York on Wednesday to speak with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about the legislation, according to an administration official who requested anonymity to disclose the private conversation. At the Capitol, McConnell huddled behind closed doors with Cassidy and Graham.

Feel 20 Years Younger With This Pain God-Send [sponsored]

McConnell must win the votes of 50 of the 52 Senate Republicans. That would amount to victory in the 100-member Senate, because Pence would then break the tie. As of Wednesday, McConnell was at least one or two votes short, with the focus on holdout establishment GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, both of whom opposed earlier repeal bills in July. Career politician and GOP Sen. Susan Collins was seen as a near certain “no” vote.

Cassidy’s legislation would repeal major elements of Obama’s law, including the unpopular requirement for Americans to carry health coverage or face penalties, and replaces them with block grants to the states. States would have wide latitude in creating their own health systems and requirements, and would be able to seek waivers from certain mandates including those related to coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

The bill does say that coverage must remain “adequate and affordable” for those with pre-existing conditions, but since those terms are not defined critics fear that insurers could jack up prices beyond many people’s ability to pay.

Sponsored: The secret to healthier blood pressure numbers: chicken salad?

If the bill does pass, Speaker Paul Ryan has committed to pushing it through the House as-is, and straight to the president’s desk, according to Graham. After seven years of promises to get rid of Obama’s law, Republicans would have finally succeeded. After years of failure, it would be at least one promise kept to the GOP base.

The Associated Press contributed to this article