GOP Senators are asked what useful purpose Graham-Cassidy serves. It does not go well.

 

As NBC News reporter Hallie Jackson notes, there are too many quotable lines to count in this Vox piece, in which Jeff Stein tracked down 9 Republican Senators to ask them what the hell the purpose of the Graham-Cassidy bill actually is. The responses pretty much say it all.

Jeff Stein: Senator, I wanted to ask you for a policy-based explanation for why you’re moving forward with the Graham-Cassidy proposal. What problems will this solve in the health care system?

Pat Roberts: That — that is the last stage out of Dodge City...I’m from Dodge City. So it’s the last stage out to do anything. Restoring decision-making back to the states is always a good idea, but this is not the best possible bill — this is the best bill possible under the circumstances.

If we do nothing, I think it has a tremendous impact on the 2018 elections. And whether or not Republicans still maintain control and we have the gavel.

Jeff Stein: But why does this bill make things better for Americans? How does it help?

Pat Roberts: Pardon me?

Jeff Stein: What are the main policy explanations for getting behind this bill? What does this bill do right, policy-wise?

John Kennedy: I think it’s an improvement over Obamacare.

Jeff Stein: Why?

John Kennedy: My position has always been that, number one, I think Obamacare has been a failure. Number two: First chance I get to vote for repeal it, I’ll do it. And number three: If it’s replacement, if replacement is better than Obamacare, I will vote for it.

Ah, yes: "It's a failure because I think it's a failure, therefore I'll vote to repeal it because the replacement has to be better than it because it's a failure because I said it is."

You get the idea. Read the whole thing.

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