The Republicans' race to repeal and replace Obamacare has been pretty rocky. Their first attempt failed thanks to in-party fighting. Conservatives said it was Obamacare 2.0 as it did little to curtail hefty Obamacare regulations. The second run at the American Health Care Act has the Freedom Caucus' support, but this time moderates are concerned that it threatens protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
At the House Rules Committee meeting Wednesday night, Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) used some colorful language to describe the not-so-pretty process.
"This process, to put it bluntly, is a g**damn mess,'' he said.
The lack of hearings and rushed vote is "an insult to this institution,” McGovern added.
GOP's handling of #AHCA is “an insult to this institution,” says @RepMcGovern. "And more importantly, it’s an insult to the American people"
— Jamie Lovegrove (@jslovegrove) May 4, 2017
The process has not been smooth, but Congress is expected to vote on AHCA again Thursday. The GOP can only afford to lose 22 members.
Update: It seems McGovern wasn't the only one to lose his cool. Republicans are also using four-letter words to describe the health care process.
Martha McSally stood up in GOP conference meeting and said let's get this "fucking thing" done.
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) May 4, 2017
Yes, direct quote — per members and aides.