The speaker speaks.
Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
As you probably know, the final weeks of the close race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have begun, with Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes the most coveted prize on both sides. Team Trump has already had a difficult week in the Keystone State due to a crude racist joke about Puerto Rico that one of President Trump’s fellow comedians told at a heated rally at Madison Square Garden. spending time. An important bloc of Puerto Rican voters Located in northeastern Pennsylvania. As NBC News reported, Harris is currently receiving help on a similar front from none other than House Speaker Mike Johnson. report:
House Speaker Mike Johnson harshly criticized Obamacare at an event in Pennsylvania on Monday, telling the audience that America would undergo “massive” health care changes if Donald Trump wins the election. .
“Health care reform is going to be a big part of the agenda. We said we’re going to have a very aggressive agenda in the first 100 days, but there’s still a lot of things on the table,” said Louisiana Republican. Johnson spoke in Bethlehem while campaigning for Republican House candidate Ryan McKenzie, the state reported. Video footage obtained by NBC News.
“Isn’t there Obamacare?” one attendee asked Johnson, referring to the law passed by Democrats in 2010, also known as the Affordable Care Act.
“No to Obamacare,” Johnson responded, rolling his eyes. “The ACA is so deeply ingrained that we need major reform to make it work, and we’ve gotten a lot of ideas about how to do that.”
Health care is not at all an issue that President Trump wants to talk about with Republicans. Efforts to repeal Obamacare Less popular initiatives It was a failure of his presidency, and it is no coincidence that it was one of his biggest failures. This is also one of Harris’ strengths. surpassed him. In a debate with his rivals in September, he could only raise the following, but he added to the problem: “Planning concept” to replace Obamacare Even though he is said to have spent years working on his own proposal, which has yet to be revealed.
Worse, Mr. Johnson’s comments very strongly suggest two things that are potentially dangerous for Mr. Trump in the eyes of floating voters: (1) Mr. Trump wins and Republicans take control of Congress; If he takes control, Mr. Johnson intends to make repealing Obamacare an immediate priority, likely wrapped up in a giant budget reconciliation bill that would mean Obamacare would be repealed and, if possible, on track to passage. , and (2) the party’s vision for health policy is radical and intended to replace the core regulations of Obamacare’s coverage with “free market” provisions that are almost certain to be reinstated. A medical system from a time when insurance companies actively discriminated against the elderly, the sick, and the poor. Mr. Johnson’s rhetoric suggests that the previous “Obamacare repeal” package was aimed at destroying Medicaid, the federal government’s health insurance program for the poor and a key part of the nation’s social safety net. It will also be an opportunity to remind voters. More than that, Johnson seemed to be telling Pennsylvanians that re-elected President Trump doesn’t care if his health care plan makes Americans unhappy, according to NBC.
“We want to light the fire on the regulatory state. These institutions are being used as weapons against people and are destroying free markets. It’s like a boot on someone’s neck. So health care is one area where we need this across the board,” Johnson said. “And Trump is going to be big. I mean, he only has one term left. He can’t run for re-election. So he’s going to think about legacy, and we’re going to fix these problems. .”
A “big fire” on health care regulations that ensure coverage for pre-existing conditions and limit price discrimination is probably not what swing voters want from the Trump administration, which touts a return to American greatness. And the Harris campaign will no doubt be grateful that President Trump’s staunch Congressional allies informed them of this. Is that the mysterious “little secret” that President Trump and Prime Minister Johnson will reveal after the election? If so, the Speaker has spilled the beans at the wrong place and time.
