Spreaders of Conspiracy Theories: Unmasking the Motivations Behind the Lies

[webfact]

Trump warns Republican lawmakers to get behind healthcare bill

By Susan Cornwell and Yasmeen Abutaleb

REUTERS

 

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned Republican lawmakers on Tuesday that voters could punish them if they do not approve a plan he favours to dismantle Obamacare, as pressure grew on the businessman-turned-politician to win the first major legislative battle of his presidency.

 

In one of the few visits he has made to the U.S. Capitol since taking office two months ago, Trump told fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives they would face "political problems" for opposing the bill that takes apart Obamacare and partially replaces it.

 

"The president was really clear: He laid it on the line for everybody," House Speaker Paul Ryan, the leading proponent of the bill, told reporters. "We made a promise. Now is our time to keep that promise. ... If we don't keep our promise, it will be very hard to manage this."

 

While Republicans control both the House and Senate, the party's leaders face a difficult task in uniting their members behind the healthcare bill, just the first in a series of reforms that Trump has promised, including overhauls of the tax system and business regulations.

 

Wall Street fell sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that Trump may struggle to deliver on his promise of tax cuts, which has propelled the market to record highs in recent months.

 

The S&P 500 <.SPX> and Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> lost over 1 percent in their worst one-day performances since before Trump's election victory on Nov. 8. The S&P financial index <.SPSY> sank 2.87 percent, its biggest daily fall since June.

 

“You have this back and forth in Congress with the new healthcare plan and you have this belief that if the healthcare plan can’t pass, then they can’t move on to taxes. There’s this feeling that if things don’t get done, then maybe what the market has been anticipating gets held up," said Mark Kepner, managing director at Themis Trading in Chatham, New Jersey.

 

Some conservative lawmakers believe the healthcare bill does not go far enough, while moderate Republicans worry that millions of Americans will be hurt by the dismantling of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare legislation.

 

Party leaders hope to move the bill to the House floor for debate as early as Thursday. But the administration and House leadership can afford to lose only about 20 votes from Republican ranks or risk the bill failing since Democrats are united against it.

 

Republican Congressman Mark Meadows, chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said the caucus has decided not to vote as a bloc on the bill, meaning Republican leadership could still win votes from some of the group's roughly three dozen members.

 

In a tweet, CNBC business news channel listed 26 House Republicans who have said they cannot support the measure.

 

Repealing and replacing Obamacare was one of Trump's main campaign promises and has been a goal of Republicans since it was enacted.

 

Republican Representative Walter Jones said Trump told lawmakers in the closed-door meeting at the Capitol that if the Republican bill does not pass, they would face "political problems." Jones said he thought Trump meant lawmakers could lose their seats.

 

ELECTORAL RISKS

 

While Trump predicted that Republicans could face challenges in primary contests ahead of the 2018 midterm elections if they do not gut Obamacare, there is also danger to them in doing so. If the Republican bill is passed, millions of voters might lose their healthcare coverage.

 

The Congressional Budget Office said last week that 14 million people would forfeit coverage under the House bill over the next year, although that number could change based on the most current version of the legislation.

 

Nancy Nielsen, associate dean for health policy at the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine, said Republican leaders were in a tough spot.

 

"It is a not-so-delicate balancing act, as they have to win over the most conservative House and Senate members without causing an outrageous backlash from voters now or in the next election," Nielsen said.

 

Democrats oppose the Republicans' plan, saying it would hurt the elderly, poor and working families while giving tax cuts to the wealthy.

 

Republican leaders tweaked the bill this week to try to satisfy critics, mainly from their own party.

 

Republican chairmen for two key committees said late Monday they proposed more funding for tax credits, which conservatives have opposed, that would give the Senate flexibility to help older people afford health insurance. Additionally, Obamacare's taxes would be eliminated in 2017 instead of 2018.

 

The amendments also addressed Medicaid, which is the country's largest health insurance program and covers about 70 million people, mostly the poor. The changes would allow states to implement work requirements for certain adults, an idea championed by many conservatives, and to decide how they receive federal funds.

 

Trump, who has not offered Obamacare repeal legislation of his own, did not talk "a whole lot about the healthcare bill except to vote for it," Jones said of the president's trip to Capitol Hill.

 

The Club for Growth, an influential conservative lobby group, said it would spend at least $500,000 for ads on television and digital platforms urging Congress members to defeat the bill.

 

The Senate also will vote on the legislation, and more changes could be made. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that if the House approved a healthcare bill, he would try to bring it to the Senate floor next week.

 

(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Richard Cowan and David Morgan; Writing by Alistair Bell and Amanda Becker; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-22

[Emster23]

Trump has spent his political capital faster than a drunk in Taj Mahal casino (oh, sorry, that went bankrupt). Like Tip O'Neil observed "All politics is local". Reps are more worried about reaction of those who put them in Congress than bluster from Trump. If they wished to respond to Trump, they might say "We are waiting for plan you promised in election: "Everyone covered, cheaper and better". When you show us that, we will be glad to support it".

[AlexRich]

An immensely complex area and very sensitive amongst voters ... enter Bull in a China Shop Trump, whose concentration span barely stretches beyond the length of a tweet, and you have the perfect recipe for disaster.

 

Tired of winning?

[kamahele]

So now he is threatening Republican lawmakers to support a bill which doesn't do what he campaigned on in the first place

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, kamahele said:

So now he is threatening Republican lawmakers to support a bill which doesn't do what he campaigned on in the first place

Well, if he was pushing a bill that did what he orignally promised it would do, it would probaby get zero republican support. 

 

[stander]

President Trump was here to do what he does best, and that's too close the deal.

[AlexRich]

1 minute ago, stander said:

President Trump was here to do what he does best, and that's too close the deal.

 

Correction - what he says he does best! Snake oil salesman.

[Berkshire]

Is Trump going to threaten lawmakers every time he wants to push a bill through?  I'm pretty sure he's going to need them if he wants to do tax reform, infrastructure bill, his budget, the wall, etc. 

 

The funny thing is, Trump has no idea what Obamacare really is.  All he knows is it was created by President Obama and the Democrats, which means that it must be destroyed. 

[ilostmypassword]

24 minutes ago, stander said:

President Trump was here to do what he does best, and that's too close the deal.

No matter that the deal he is trying to close violates his promises.  The important thing is that he is closing the deal. A really, really bad deal. And I'm sure that's why his supporters voted for him: to close deals no matter how much it hurts them.

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The Donald's theme song "On The Road Again" You just have to go where the love is. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Republican lawmakers on Tuesday that voters could punish them

Atta boy Donald hit em where it hurts at the ballot box. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"The president was really clear: He laid it on the line for everybody," House Speaker Paul Ryan

And the Philistine speaks. This guy has more faces than the Halloween industry. He panders to everybody. 

[craigt3365]

6 hours ago, stander said:

President Trump was here to do what he does best, and that's too close the deal.

Which hasn't happened yet.  For pretty much anything he's tried.  How come he didn't close the travel ban deal?  Hmmm....maybe he's not as good as he says he is?

[lungmi]

Gaslighting Trump, but he will be his own victim.

[iReason]

 

 

[boomerangutang]

14 hours ago, Emster23 said:

Trump has spent his political capital faster than a drunk in Taj Mahal casino (oh, sorry, that went bankrupt). Like Tip O'Neil observed "All politics is local". Reps are more worried about reaction of those who put them in Congress than bluster from Trump. If they wished to respond to Trump, they might say "We are waiting for plan you promised in election: "Everyone covered, cheaper and better". When you show us that, we will be glad to support it".

                      You're right.  If it weren't for recent Republican town hall meetings, the bill would get enough votes to pass.  The reality is:  Republicans saw what happened at the TH meetings and were spooked to their toes.  They'd rather get bullied by the red-faced dufus than have to stand up on a stage facing 3400 angry voters shouting at them.  That's the main reason the bill won't pass.

 

                  Most Americans are used to getting 'free lunches.'   One of many examples:  In hundreds of towns in the SE US, more than 60% of the populace get SSI (social security for mental and/or physical disability).  It's very easy to cheat the system and get federal money.  Minimum payout is over $800/month.  When it goes before a judge (the final obligatory process), there's no one there in court to represent the government, so the judge simply ok's each individuals' requests every time.

 

                  With health care, Americans want to continue the free lunch dynamic.  However, Americans are, on average; grossly obese and ill.   That's a factor that no politician mentions.  I have about 30 American friends who are in their 50's and 60's.  Nearly all of them have senility issues. Strangely, Americans in their 40's and 50's seem to be in poorer health than those in their 60's.  Could it be drinking water and air have deteriorated over time, and therefore each new generation gets a bit sicker sooner?  

 

                 Americans also engage in habits which they know (or should know) are bad for their health.  Most eat too much meat, too much sugar, fermented sugar, pharma drugs and live in areas with bad air.  Most have bedding and furniture which emits formaldahyde.  The untold story of America's health care problems (including the highest medical costs in the world) is that most people there are grossly overweight, sickly, and continue to do things which they know are harmful to their health.   Not a pretty picture.   There is no magic bullet.

[boomerangutang]

1 hour ago, iReason said:

 

 

If there is anything lower than a shyster, Trump is it.  He makes Madoff look like Mother Theresa.

[Berkshire]

22 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

No matter that the deal he is trying to close violates his promises.  The important thing is that he is closing the deal. A really, really bad deal. And I'm sure that's why his supporters voted for him: to close deals no matter how much it hurts them.

It's true that most Trump supporters voted against their own self interest.  Some just didn't know any better, but some really believed Trump.  Like this guy...but no more.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/21/health/opioid-trump-supporter-medicaid-health-care-reform/index.html

 

["The bill is an absolute betrayal of what Trump represented on the campaign trail," he said. "I feel betrayed."]

[mrwebb8825]

I'm amazed at how many experts we have here on TV. Can 1 of you enlightened lot please post your copy of the finalized bill. Oh wait, that's right. It ISN'T finalized yet is it? 

So many dems, it's just amazing that you could have lost so huge in the election.

 

Trump could decide to change his tie for a meeting and there would be 100 of you on here condemning his choice before he ever got to the closet to make a choice. 

Edited March 23, 2017 by mrwebb8825

[craigt3365]

3 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

I'm amazed at how many experts we have here on TV. Can 1 of you enlightened lot please post your copy of the finalized bill. Oh wait, that's right. It ISN'T finalized yet is it? 

So many dems, it's just amazing that you could have lost so huge in the election.

 

Trump could decide to change his tie for a meeting and there would be 100 of you on here condemning his choice before he ever got to the closet to make a choice. 

It's not finalized because as it stands, it won't get passed.

 

And that's not just due to the dems, it's also due to many republicans pushing back.  Maybe you should criticize them also?

 

Your last comment is totally wrong.  Most of us are desperately waiting for Trump to do the right thing.  Which hasn't happened so far.

[metisdead]

An off topic post about the election results has been removed. 

[Grubster]

I don't think Trump ever believed he could get rid of Obama care, he needed the far right in the election and still does, so he must try to get this stupid bill through even though he knows it has no chance. Bigger and better issues to come, at least I sure hope so.

[Langsuan Man]

On 3/22/2017 at 6:49 AM, webfact said:

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Republican lawmakers on Tuesday that voters could punish them if they do not approve a plan he favours to dismantle Obamacare.........

Maybe Republican lawmakers are paying attention to the polls.  Do they really think that they can get re-elected with these numbers ?

 

Quote

Additionally, PPP found that 62% of people polled said they wanted to keep the ACA and make changes to it, while 33% said they wanted it repealed and the US to start over with a new healthcare law.

source:  http://www.businessinsider.com/polls-obamacare-approve-popularity-2017-2