On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) responded to criticisms of the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill by both Jimmy Kimmel and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).
Graham said, “Well, he’s describing Obamacare. About 70% of the counties in this country are down to one provider. Many of them have lost all choice. Obamacare is collapsing around us. If you like your doctor, you can keep it, didn’t really hold up. So Obamacare is collapsing, access to health care is going down. We try to turn that around. And here’s what I would say to Mr. Kimmel, I understand the emotional nature of having a sick child, and we’re all grateful your child is doing well. Bill Cassidy is a doctor who worked in a nonprofit hospital serving the underprivileged. Factually, our bill requires pre-existing illnesses to be covered in the block grant. We run it through the CHIPs program, the children’s health program that’s been in existence for 20 years. It’s got to be compliant with the terms of that program. You do cover pre-existing illnesses, but we allow 50 states to come up with solutions to help sick people, not just some bureaucrat in Washington. And I bet you this, Brian, I bet you he never called Senator Cassidy and said ‘Would you please set this straight?’ I bet he looked at some liberal talking point, bought it hook, line, and sinker, and went after Bill Cassidy without talking to him, and I think that’s unfair.”
Graham also addressed criticisms of the bill by Rand by arguing Democrats have attacked Graham-Cassidy because they know it would kill any prospects for single-payer and casting the debate as between “socialism and federalism, our last, best chance.”
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