Presidential counsellor Kellyanne Conway emphasized Sunday that the Senate health care bill, otherwise known as “Trumpcare,” does not cut Medicaid funding.
During the heated interview, ABC host George Stephanopoulos began by accusing the health care bill of cutting $800 billion in Medicaid funding, which veers from Trump’s campaign promise to “Save Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security without cuts.”
Conway responded by saying that Trump is not cutting funding for programs, but is simply “slowing the rate (of growth) for the future.” Conway went on to claim she is “very confident” that the bill will pass the Senate — a bill that will take away “draconian” Obamacare taxes on medical devices, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter medications.
Conway made clear that Americans currently on Medicaid, even through the Obamacare expansion, are “grandfathered in.” Stephanopoulos refuted this claim by stating that youth across the country will face negative externalities associated with the $800 billion in cuts.
Conway went on to debunk another Stephanopoulos falsehood claiming that Medicaid cuts make it impossible to expand treatment for opioid addiction. Conway noted that Trump recently signed into law a bill that provides $213 million in opioid funding with another $811 million to come in next years budget.
Conway said the bill will fix several issues that Obamacare failed to. “Last year we had 6.5 million Americans pay close to $3 billion dollars in taxes to the IRS just to opt out of Obamacare. Those people instead of paying money to the IRS could use that money to purchase healthcare.” Conway explained that “In addition, premiums were supposed to go down under Obamacare but they have more than doubled. Choices were supposed to expand but they’ve been reduced.”
Conway wrapped up the interview by echoing Trump’s call for unity through encouraging Democrats to come to the table and work with Republicans on tweaking the bill. Conway cited 113 House Democrats signing on to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ health care bill as evidence that an increasingly large number of opposition members recognize the imminent implosion of Obamacare.
Conway concluded that “All four of those losers in the special elections, the democrats, they ran to keep Obamacare where it is and they lost”
The Trump administration hopes to pass the Senate health care bill prior to the July 4 recess.
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