All three network morning shows on Thursday were eager to promote Democrats blasting Republicans over the planned repeal of ObamaCare, advancing accusations from liberal lawmakers that the GOP would “Make America Sick Again” and create “chaos” in the health care system.
On NBC’s Today, reporter Hallie Jackson fretted over “ObamaCare on life support” before playing a clip of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proclaiming: “The Republican plan to cut health care wouldn't make America great again, it would make America sick again.” She gushed: “Democrats debuting a new catchphrase after a simultaneous showdown on Capitol Hill. Vice President-elect Mike Pence rallying Republicans. President Obama firing up his party.”
Jackson announced: “...the President advised members to avoid working with Republicans on a plan to replace ObamaCare, as Democrats gear up for two weekends of campaign-style rallies across the country to defend the law.” She added: “Some arguing if Republicans break it apart, they own the aftermath.”
A clip then played of her grilling Pence: “Are you prepared to own the political fallout, potentially?” The Vice President-elect quipped: “The simple fact is, the American people know who owns ObamaCare. It's the first half of the title. It is Obama.”
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Jackson lamented that “Republicans can tear down the law on their own, with just 51 votes needed,” but asserted that “building it back up could take 60, meaning they’d need Democrats' help.” Wrapping up the segment, she warned: “Repealing the healthcare law itself, not going to be cheap. A new report out from a nonpartisan think tank puts the price tag at $350 billion.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, co-host Robin Roberts worried: “More than twenty million Americans are covered by the plan that Republicans are vowing to repeal and replace.” In the report that followed, congressional correspondent Mary Bruce declared: “President Obama is stepping up his efforts to preserve his legacy....huddling with Hill Democrats in a last-ditch effort to save his signature law.”
She hyped fears over Republicans replacing the failed policy: “It’s a high-stakes battle. More than 20 million people are covered by ObamaCare and 11 million could be at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage.”
Bruce continued: “With the GOP still mulling the replacement, Democrats have a message for the Republicans: You break it you buy it.” A soundbite played of Schumer standing next to a poster that read “Make America Sick Again” and proclaiming: “Now, they’re going to own it.”
In a discussion after the report, chief White House correspondent Jon Karl concluded that any attempt by Republicans to get rid of ObamaCare was “potentially perilous politically” and predicted: “There will be a lot of disruption if you repeal ObamaCare...and they don't want to get the blame for that and Democrats want to make sure they do get the blame.”
On CBS This Morning, with the headline “Prescription for Chaos?” splashed across the screen, correspondent Nancy Cordes assumed the worst: “...with repeal all but assured, the fight has really moved on to who's going to get the blame if people lose coverage....the two sides tangled over who's going to own the post-repeal mess, if there is one.”
She heralded: “Democrats argued in their zeal for repeal, Republicans have ignored what comes yet.” A “Make America Sick Again” poster was featured prominently on screen, followed by a clip of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin ranting: “They're replacing Affordable Care with chaos.”
Trying to bolster that spin, Cordes explained: “The nation’s largest doctor’s association made the same case in a letter to leaders of Congress, writing, ‘Before any action is taken, policymakers should lay out for the American people in reasonable detail what will replace current policies.’” A soundbite ran of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi chiming in: “They have no replacement plan because they can't – they can't – they don't have the votes.”
Here are excerpts from the January 5 NBC, ABC, and CBS morning shows:
Today
7:11 AM ET(...)
HALLIE JACKSON: Donald Trump tweeting just moments ago, slamming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as a “clown” and accusing Democrats of playing the blame game in this fight over health care. Don't expect this kind of heated talk to go anywhere for a while. Not in this health care fight, with the coverage of 20 million Americans at stake.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Showdown Over ObamaCare; GOP Promises New Plan as President Meets Dems on Hill]
Today, ObamaCare on life support, with the GOP promising to repeal and replace it fast.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER [D-SENATE MINORITY LEADER]: The Republican plan to cut health care wouldn't make America great again, it would make America sick again.
JACKSON: Democrats debuting a new catchphrase after a simultaneous showdown on Capitol Hill. Vice President-elect Mike Pence rallying Republicans. President Obama firing up his party.
BARACK OBAMA: Look out for the American people.
JACKSON: A source in the room says the President advised members to avoid working with Republicans on a plan to replace ObamaCare, as Democrats gear up for two weekends of campaign-style rallies across the country to defend the law. Some arguing if Republicans break it apart, they own the aftermath.
JACKSON [TO MIKE PENCE]: Are you prepared to own the political fallout, potentially?
GOV. MIKE PENCE [R-VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT]: I think the most important thing for the President-elect and for the leaders here in Congress is that we keep our word to the American people. The simple fact is, the American people know who owns ObamaCare. It's the first half of the title. It is Obama.
JACKSON: Nationally, about 11% of Americans do not have insurance. That's down from 16% from before the law was enacted. Republicans argue premiums in some states are spiking, pledging they can and will come up with something better. And that when they do, the move to it will be seamless.
(...)
GMA
7:04 AM ET
ROBIN ROBERTS: As President Obama and President-elect Trump prepare for those briefings, a battle is under way on Capitol Hill over the Affordable Healthcare Act. More than twenty million Americans are covered by the plan that Republicans are vowing to repeal and replace. Our Congressional correspondent Mary Bruce has more. She's there in Washington for us. Good morning, Mary.
MARY BRUCE: Good morning, Robin. Well, Republicans have made ObamaCare their top target and they're already taking steps to roll it back. But it’s unclear basically what exactly they plan to replace with it. And now with just 15 days left in office, President Obama is stepping up his efforts to preserve his legacy. After a health care showdown on Capitol Hill. This morning, the big question, what's in store for the millions of Americans covered by ObamaCare.
OBAMA: Thank you.
BRUCE: The President huddling with Hill Democrats in a last-ditch effort to save his signature law. It’s a high-stakes battle. More than 20 million people are covered by ObamaCare and 11 million could be at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage.
PENCE: We’re going to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with solutions that lower cost of health insurance without growing the size of government.
BRUCE: Pence announcing Trump will take executive action on day one. But then what? Why still no plan to replace it.
RYAN: We have a plan to replace it. We have plenty of ideas to replace it. You'll see as the weeks and months unfold --
BRUCE: The President-elect aware of the potential political consequences is warning his party. Tweeting, “Republicans must be careful in that the Democrats own the failed ObamaCare disaster.” Adding, “ObamaCare will fall of its own weight. Be careful.” Republicans are promising to phase it out slowly.
RYAN: We want to make sure, we don’t pull the rug out from anybody during that transition.
BRUCE: With the GOP still mulling the replacement, Democrats have a message for the Republicans: “You break it you buy it.”
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER [D-SENATE MINORITY LEADER]: Now, they’re going to own it.
(...)
CBS This Morning
7:06 AM ET
CBS GRAPHIC: Prescription for Chaos? Republican Senators Fast-Track Repeal of ObamaCare
GAYLE KING: The Trump inauguration is more than two weeks away now, but Congress is moving full steam ahead to get rid of ObamaCare. The Senate narrowly approved a fast track resolution yesterday to begin the appeal of the Affordable Care Act. The vote followed President Obama's visit with Democrats working to save his signature achievement. Vice President-elect Mike Pence was also on Capitol Hill. He's urging Republicans to repeal the law. Nancy Cordes is there, too, with the next step in the ObamaCare debate. Nancy, good morning.
NANCY CORDES: Good morning. I'm told that President Obama actually apologized to Democrats here on Capitol Hill for not doing a better job all these years selling ObamaCare. He urged them to get out and tell personal stories of people who are benefitting from the law. But with repeal all but assured, the fight has really moved on to who's going to get the blame, if people lose coverage.
UNIDENTIFIED: The ayes have 51, the nays, 48.
CORDES: Republicans took the first vote in the repeal process, Wednesday.
SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER: Now they're going to own it.
CORDES: As the two sides tangled over who's going to own the post-repeal mess, if there is one.
VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT MIKE PENCE: The simple fact is everyone knows who owns ObamaCare. It’s the first half of the title.
CORDES: Vice President-elect Mike Pence and President Obama both came to Capitol Hill to gird their troops for the escalating PR war.
BARACK OBAMA: Look out for the American people.
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS: Let us be very clear.
CORDES: Democrats argued in their zeal for repeal, Republicans have ignored what comes yet.
SENATOR DICK DURBIN: They're replacing Affordable Care with chaos.
CORDES: The nation’s largest doctor’s association made the same case in a letter to leaders of Congress, writing, “Before any action is taken, policymakers should lay out for the American people in reasonable detail what will replace current policies.”
REP. NANCY PELOSI: They have no replacement plan because they can't – They can't – they don't have the votes.
(...)
