Gov. McAuliffe: 'People will die if' Obamacare repeal becomes law

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe ripped House Republicans on Friday for celebrating the chamber’s passage of Obamacare repeal.

“They have put people’s lives in jeopardy,” McAuliffe told CNN in a phone interview Friday morning. “People will die if this becomes law of the land.”


House Republicans narrowly squeezed the health care legislation, dubbed the American Health Care Act, through the chamber on a 217-213 vote Thursday afternoon. Twenty Republicans voted against the measure, joining the entire Democratic caucus in opposition.

Republicans, nevertheless, bused to the White House to celebrate. President Donald Trump declared victory and designated Obamacare dead in a Rose Garden ceremony, although former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land unless or until the Senate passes its version and the president signs a final bill.

“I got back last night, turned on the TV, you know, they’re having a beer party celebrating what they did,” McAuliffe said of Republicans. “Well, people are gonna lose their lives. People are gonna lose their health coverage and these people think it’s a party? They think this is something fun? There is nothing fun about it.”

The governor also slammed Republicans for rushing legislation through the House without a revised score from the Congressional Budget Office, which estimated 24 million fewer Americans would be insured under the original bill over the next decade. (The Senate won’t move forward on health care reform until the House bill is scored.) Thursday’s vote, McAuliffe said, was “morally” and “fiscally irresponsible.”

“They’re gonna endanger people who have preexisting conditions. They’re gonna cut essential health benefits,” he charged, adding that the bill would “weaken” governor’s ability to keep their residents “healthy and economically competitive.” “I don’t think this will see much of the light of the day in the Senate, but it was disheartening to watch.”

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