By Watching GOP’s Efforts, Democrats Just Got A New Playbook On Passing Single-Payer
Democrats have been watching how Republicans used the reconciliation process to get their legislation close to the finish line. Under slightly different circumstances, Democrats are realizing they might be able to use it. “In 2009, what we consistently got from Democratic senators was: Hey, reconciliation was a procedural can of worms. We don’t want to go there,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “Republicans have made very clear that you can go there and push your ideas into law."
The Washington Post:
In GOP’s Repeal Failure, Democrats Find A Potential Game Plan
Outnumbered but emboldened, progressive Democrats who watched Republicans fail to unwind the Affordable Care Act are thinking harder about passing major expansions of health-care coverage. For many younger activists and legislators, the push to undo the ACA with just 51 Senate votes is less a cautionary tale than a model of how to bring about universal coverage. (Weigel, 7/30)
The Washington Post:
Wary And Weary, Progressives Celebrate Victory Over ACA Repeal
Ben Wikler learned the Affordable Care Act’s fate from a text message. The Washington director of MoveOn.org, who had led nearly daily rallies outside the Capitol to stop repeal, was five hours into the final protest when a colleague passed him her phone, buzzing with texts. “Pence not in chair,” read one text. Wikler read it to the 300 protesters gathered around him, in a circle, who had been taking turns giving speeches. “Murkowski is a no. Let me confirm that. Murkowski is a no.” Then: “McCain is a no.”Wikler read the text out loud. “It was like fireworks going off,” he said in an interview. “Everyone started chanting U-S-A. Strangers were hugging.” (Weigel, 7/28)
The Hill:
Sanders: Trump Should Stop His Tweeting Amid Healthcare Debate
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on Sunday that President Trump should lay off the Twitter messages amid the ongoing healthcare debate. "Maybe the president should ... stop his tweeting for a while, and understand that America today is the only country, only major country on Earth not to guarantee healthcare for all people," Sanders told host Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union." (Beavers, 7/30)