GOP Rep. Brooks bashes party’s health care bill ahead of key vote
Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., slammed the Republican replacement for Obamacare Wednesday, saying the proposed bill “is not a repeal and it’s a bad replacement.”
The American Health Care Act, embraced by Speaker Paul Ryan, is in danger of losing too many Republican votes to pass during Thursday’s vote in the House. Brooks’s Freedom Caucus, a group of staunchly conservative lawmakers, is opposing the bill in its current form, and there was speculation Wednesday that the vote may be delayed.
“The best argument that the proponents of the legislation have right now is that it’s not as bad as Obamacare. Well, not being as bad as Obamacare does not make it good for the American people,” Brooks said, speaking with Yahoo News Global Anchor Katie Couric.
Repealing and replacing President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act was one of President Trump’s key campaign promises. Failure to pass the repeal legislation in the House would deal the White House a blow early in the administration, and even if it passes, the law as written faces significant headwinds in the Senate.
Asked if he was concerned about the potential hit to Trump’s political capital, Brooks replied, “Quite frankly, that’s not something that’s persuasive to me.”
He also rejected the argument that any bill is better than no bill, saying, “Bad legislation is the worst thing that you can do.”
“If you keep Obamacare in place, there’s always the hope that we’re going be able to repeal it and do what America needs to lower their health care costs.”
Brooks advocated for the immediate passage of a bill that would result in Obamacare being repealed at some future date, allowing Republicans to formulate suitable replacement legislation in the interim.
Brooks was also in attendance when Trump warned Republican lawmakers that they may be in danger of losing their seats if the AHCA fails.
“I took it as humor,” Brooks said. “But at the same time, behind that humor is a potential threat.”
The congressman waffled when asked whether he supported the tax cuts for the wealthy contained in the legislation, saying he’s in favor of lower taxes “across the board.” He then volunteered a provocative idea the president has also proposed: mass deportations.
“One thing we can do to really, dramatically improve our financial situation as a country, and also the incomes of the people earning the least in America, is to secure our border and deport every single illegal alien here.”
Brooks was equally fiery while discussing his support for both iterations of Trump’s executive order barring citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from the U.S.
“Let me make sure I’ve got this right: You’re asking me whether I should be worried about whether we offend people, or whether I should be worried about Americans being horribly murdered?”
Pressed on that point, Brooks stood firm: “I’m for Americans living rather than getting killed at the hands of fundamentalist Muslims.”
