WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill barely say a word about the Russian investigations now that Republicans are trying to pass a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Democrats, following four devastating special election House losses, appeared to refocus their efforts on attacking the White House and Republicans members of Congress on their health care bill.
“What the Republicans have done is to allow us to remind people that the Affordable Care Act needs work but it is fundamentally sound. Now a majority of Americans agree with it. We were never able to sell that idea until the Republicans attacked it,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin told The Daily Caller Tuesday after Republican leadership announced the health care bill would not be coming to the floor this week.
When asked if Democrats plan to tamp down on talking about the Russia investigations Durbin would only say, “Oh no. [Special Counsel] Mueller has that.”
Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, who criticized his caucus last week for focusing too much on the Russia probes, told reporters Tuesday, “We’ve got to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time the Russian inquiry is important to the future of the republic. But the health care bill is in many ways is more relevant to the people that I represent.”
Murphy went on to say, “So I think we’ve done a good job of focusing the caucus and the country on this health care bill and we’re going have to keep that up next week. I’m sure that Donald Trump’s going to wake up every day trying to figure out tweets that will distract the country from this health care bill. We can’t let that happen.”
California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters appeared to be upbeat about Democrats’ future. Waters faced loud protesters accusing her of criminality and racism at her last town hall, but she said they did not faze her one bit.
“I had a great town hall. Problem protesters don’t bother me. It wasn’t rough. I had it packed with all my supporters and. We’re doing good. That’s two in a series. We’re gonna have many more,” Waters told TheDC.
The California Democrat boasted that Republicans are the ones who now have the problem when it comes to messaging.
“Look how good we’re doing on health care. They can’t get it. They can’t pass it on the Senate side. They don’t have enough votes. We have worked it and we’ve worked it hard. That has been the centerpiece of our message–preserving what we realize under Obamacare and so far we’re winning,” Waters said.