Hawaii Dems Take Victory Lap Over Demise Of ‘TrumpCare’

“This victory is proof that TrumpCare was never on the level,” said Sen. Brian Schatz.

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Marking the epic failure of the GOP bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act Friday, members of Hawaii’s all-Democrat congressional delegation are expressing satisfaction but warning of the need to stay diligent.

“This victory is proof that TrumpCare was never on the level,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said in a statement. “Instead of trying to pass a health care bill, Republicans tried to ram through a tax cut for the wealthy, paid for by 24 million Americans who would lose their health care in the process.”

He added: “As Americans breathe a sigh of relief that Republicans walked back from the edge of this reckless cliff, we can only hope that Republicans will take a bipartisan approach to tackling the issues Americans care about moving forward.”

The sun has set on repealing Obamacare, at least for “the foreseeable future,” says House Speaker Paul Ryan. Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa congratulated House Minority Nancy Pelosi “for her vision and determination to take this fight against the poorly drafted TrumpCare legislation directly to the people who would be most devastated by the GOP plan.”

Hanabusa continued:

From the start, the House Democratic caucus waged a war of information through social media, health care round-tables, town halls and coordination with local community groups and health care stakeholders to get the facts out. While the GOP hid their TrumpCare legislation from the public and denied the people a hearing on their bill, my Democratic colleagues and I worked to make sure America’s hardworking families knew the truth about the GOP plan and the millions of Americans who would have been denied coverage, paid more and received fewer health care benefits.

Prior to the vote that never came on Friday — the GOP simply did not have the votes, in spite of President Donald Trump’s persistent pleas — U.S. Rep.Tulsi Gabbard spoke on the House floor to urge a “no” vote.

The bill, she noted, was supported by organizations such as America’s Health Insurance Plans, which represents health insurance companies nationwide, but opposed by the AARP, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Nurses Association, the National Disability Rights Network and others.

“People in my home state of Hawaii and all across the country are in desperate need of serious health care reform, to bring down costs and increase access to quality care,” she said. “The legislation before us, though, is not the answer — it perpetuates the problems. It’s a handout to insurance and pharmaceutical companies that literally pulls the rug out from those who are most needy and most vulnerable in our communities.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono issued a series of damning tweets this week:

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