Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., predicted Tuesday that voters would revolt against the Senate Republican healthcare bill once it’s released this week.
“I would assume that once the public sees this bill, there will be the same outcry there was against the House bill, but it may have even greater effect because the Senate Republicans have less margin for error,” Schumer told reporters at his weekly press conference.
Schumer was responding to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., announcement moments prior that a “discussion draft” of the bill will be released Thursday morning as Senate Republicans prep for a potential vote before the 4th of July recess. He also said he wasn’t sure how far and wide the bill would be distributed, but called for it to be available to all.
“I’d ask Leader McConnell one question,” Schumer said. “He says there’s going to be a bill available Thursday. To whom? To us? To the American people? To the nurses and doctors who are in healthcare? To the people who have pre-existing conditions? Who is going to be able to see the bill on Thursday? We don’t know the answer.”
He also fired back at complaints from various Republican senators who have claimed that Senate Democrats had no interest in fixing the law, and said that he has made multiple entreaties about engaging in a dialogue about the issue.
“The bottom line is we’ve sent him umpteen letters that have said just the opposite, that say we want to make Obamacare better,” Schumer said. “Sit down with us and figure out how. They have insisted on repeal, even though they’ve never had a repeal plan … He should sit down with us with no pre-conditions if he wants to talk, and we’re ready to do that.”
