Collins, Murkowski and yes, John McCain voted no. The #SkinnyRepeal is officially DEAD. And the indefensible process is over. Three Republicans and 48 Democrats have chosen to side with #OurLives, rather than advance a malicious, mystery bill with undeniably devastating consequences for the health, wellbeing and very survival of millions of Americans, including the most vulnerable.
Twitter is my go-to news platform 24/7, so if you want to see my thoughts unfolding with the news in real time on this issue or any other, go check out twitter.com/erinschrode. But for now, I have attempted to turn my 140 character snippets into something more coherent and comprehensive…
As President Trump tweeted (his official mode of communications) but a couple of days ago, "So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave - American hero! Thank you John.” I now wonder what Trump will say about the “American hero" now, after McCain voted to kill the deadly, disastrous so-called Skinny Repeal, thereby ensuring healthcare will not be stripped from millions. Let’s just say that I do not expect a measured response from the erratic, tactless, brash man in the Oval Office (or from his appalling, vulgar, wholly unbelievable Communications Director).
"The spectacle in the Senate is an absolute embarrassment and basically every conservative I know feels the same way.” I second Chris Hayes. And this remains true, even after the Skinny Repeal has failed (a process and policy for which 49 Republicans somehow voted). Maybe now the Senate can attempt to function, legislate effectively and fulfill its duty to serve the Americans whom they claim and are intended to represent.
I genuinely wonder how this period will be written about in history books of the not too distant future. 📚 I’m with Ezra Klein: "I honestly don’t know how to convey how crazy this process or legislation is. There is no analogue to it in modern politics.”
John Podhoretz said, "I have never seen such unanimity in the horror everyone on all sides is expressing toward the Senate process on this health care bill.” The process is a wreck. The Senate is a mess. The government is in tatters. The nation is in chaos. But the promise of America is alive.
"Millions of Americans will keep their health care. Today is a good day.” I amended Matt Klapper’s tweet: *tonight – as the final vote came in long after midnight, in what many feared would be a Midnight Massacre, rather than a success in a sequence of events to #KillTheBill. Now get some sleep, Washingtonians and all Americans. There's work to be done yet! And we clearly need the power of people and strong voices in government to lead the charge – for a better healthcare system (life-saving measures for which Obama laid the groundwork in a near impossible battle for ACA) and beyond.
It is remarkable to note that the Senate defeated a third (yes one, two, three) attempt to strip healthcare from millions of Americans. I agree with what Mitch McConnell said following the vote: "It's time to move on.” This is the same McConnell who said: “Make no mistake: If the people who wrote this bill were proud of it, they wouldn’t be forcing this vote in the dead of the night” on December 21, 2009. Will the GOP leadership and immature, spiteful, Obama-hating President ever actually find the maturity and political will to do that, in order to focus on really serving the American people?
🙌🏾👭💃🏻👯🚺👩💼✊🏿👊🏾👍🏼💪🏽🇺🇸🙏🏽 And may I humbly remind you that Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins were there from the beginning, later joined by John McCain. These two women initially voted no on the motion to proceed and stood strong in face of intense party pressure all week. #ShePersisted #TheFutureIsFemale #GirlPower and all the other sisterhood hashtags to raise up my fellow powerhouse ladies!
Cody Keenan tweeted this prior to the Maverick’s stunning return to DC: "What a remarkable moment it would be if a war hero, fighting cancer, returned to the Senate to say ‘this is wrong, America must be better.'” And so it was! Now please continue to do right by the American people, Senator McCain. You got it right with the Skinny Repeal; here's to standing up for what is right, what is just as we navigate the long road ahead. And know that we are praying for your full recovery.
With one (predictable) late night tweet, the President of the United States confirmed, once again, that he has willingly and knowingly turned his back on tens of millions of American citizens. A disgrace. @RealDonaldTrump: "3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal.”
After a difficult, confusing and sad couple of days (amid trying weeks and months) at a tumultuous time in our country (and world) – I feel proud to be an American. Proud of my fellow Americans. And proud of the good, strong, sane voices that we, the people, have elected to our government. 🇺🇸
Activism works! People power works! Resistance works! Let's do it again!
Call📞 Email💻 Tweet📱 Write📄 Speak📢 March👊🏾 Show up👥
The fight is far from over, as the GOP, President and Administration continue to push for an acutely perilous agenda with apparent disregard for human rights, common decency, Constitutional protections, democratic norms, legislative processes, you name it. My thoughts are with millions of Americans who may fall victim to the politicization of, well, everything and broken, failing political systems. Both our democracy and lives are in peril, lying precariously in the balance, at the mercy of a governing body that has repeatedly turned its back on brave, worthy, courageous, patriotic, beautifully diverse American citizens.
Deray made a wise point: "Be mindful not to gloat tonight. We barely survived the #SkinnyRepeal vote. We need to regroup so that it's never this close again.”
Yes, this is a victory: tens millions of Americans will not be stripped of the right to healthcare. Smile. Breathe. Dance. Sleep. This is neither the time for self-congratulatory celebration, nor a sentiment of defeat. Recharge. Listen. Stand. Organize. Build. Unite. Mobilize. Fight.
Stay woke or wake the fuck up, America. 👊🏾🇺🇸✊🏿📢
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