Sanders Borrows Trump’s 2015 Tweet For Obamacare Debate
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders used an oversized printout of one of President-elect Donald Trump’s tweets as a prop during the Senate’s Wednesday debate on the future of the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare.
“Let me quote somebody who I suspect I will not often be quoting,” Sanders reportedly said while discussing the GOP’s plans for Obamacare. The May 2015 tweet was a jab at former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
During his time on the floor, Sanders said Trump’s promises on the campaign trail must be given attention.
“This is what he asked millions of elderly people and working class people to vote for him on — these are the principles that Donald Trump ran and won the presidency on,” the Vermont senator reportedly said.
“I think it is interesting that we listen to what Donald Trump said during the campaign,” Sanders said referring to the tweet. “That Democrats hear what he had to say during the campaign — what he campaigned on — and more importantly Republicans listen and hear what their leader had to say about these issues.”
Vice-president elect Mike Pence said earlier on Wednesday that the Trump administration’s first priority will be to repeal and replace Obamacare. The process will begin with Trump signing a series of executive orders on his first day at the White House, he added.
“Obamacare has failed,” Pence reportedly said after meeting with House Republicans. “Now is the time to keep our promises. Step one will be to repeal Obamacare.”
Trump, in a post-election interview, appeared to have softened his stance on the Affordable Care Act saying he liked some provisions of the plan and would like to retain them.
“Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced,” the 70-year-old New Yorker told CBS’ “60 Minutes.” “I told him [President Barack Obama] I will look at his suggestions and out of respect, I will do that."
In a press conference with Democrats earlier, Sanders said Trump has two options with regards to the tweet — either the real estate mogul admits he lied or vetoes any legislative cuts on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Service.
“If he makes that clear to his Republican colleagues we can save us a whole lot of time and start getting to work doing what this country desperately needs to have done,” the 75-year-old former presidential candidate said.
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