Seconds after the Republican House of Representatives finally passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), CBS News did their best on Thursday to tout Democratic concerns, pro-ObamaCare protesters, and hypocritically chide Republican supporters for not being “modest” in their massive legislative achievement.
“Seconds ago, the House vote to approve the American Health Care Act, the Republican replacement for ObamaCare...They just squeaked that through and gave President Trump his first legislative victory and set the stage for scrapping President Obama's signature legislative achievement,” the snarky CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley fretted.
Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes was live from the Capitol, promoting Democrats chanting “nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, goodbye” in the direction of Republicans because, in her words, Democrats “believe that House Republicans will come to rue the day that they cast this vote, rolling back major pieces of ObamaCare, replacing others.”
Cordes then completely disregarded the jubilant behavior of Democrats before ObamaCare passed to instead knock Republicans for being overjoyed at their legislative win:
Republicans are not being modest in their victory. They already have cases of beer standing by here at the Capitol to celebrate. Then, they’re going to board buses and heading to the White House where the President is waiting to celebrate with them in the Rose Garden. A very unusual move given the fact that, as you point out, this is only the first step in this bill's legislative journey.
She concluded by warning that, between passing the Senate and the House voting again if the AHCA is altered, “there are many steps along that journey where it could get derailed.”
Tossing to Face the Nation host John Dickerson, Pelley promoted the Congressional Budget Office having “scared a lot of Republicans away from the previous bill, saying that about 26 million Americans would lose their health insurance if that bill passed” and wondering why the GOP didn’t listen to the CBO.
Dickerson responded:
Well, because, there are reports puts a number on the pain and once you get the momentum, you want to get something passed and also they argue that congressional budget office or at least the White House argues, the Congressional Budget Office can't really account for a bill like this.
Here’s the relevant portion of the transcript from the CBS News Special Report on May 4:
CBS News Special
May 4, 2017
2:18 p.m. Eastern
SCOTT PELLEY: The Republican-lead House has taken the biggest step yet towards repealing and replacing ObamaCare. Seconds ago, the House vote to approve the American Health Care act, the Republican replacement for ObamaCare. Supporters needed 216 votes. They have 217. They just squeaked that through and gave President Trump his first legislative victory and set the stage for scrapping President Obama's signature legislative achievement.
(....)
NANCY CORDES: You might be able to hear in the background some chanting, nah nah nah, nah, hey, hey, goodbye. That’s Democrats chanting on the House floor because they believe that House Republicans will come to rue the day that they cast this vote, rolling back major pieces of ObamaCare, replacing others and Democrats argue, undoing some key protections that exist in ObamaCare. Republicans argue they are giving Americans more choices, that their proposals will bring down premiums for a lot of Americans and they argue that ObamaCare was crumbling under its own weight with more insurers just this week, saying, Scott, they were going to be pulling out of key states. Republicans are not being modest in their victory. They already have cases of beer standing by here at the Capitol to celebrate. Then, they’re going to board buses and heading to the White House where the President is waiting to celebrate with them in the Rose Garden. A very unusual move given the fact that, as you point out, this is only the first step in this bill's legislative journey. It now goes to the Senate where it will almost certainly undergo major changes then it has to come back here to the House and there are many steps along that journey where it could get derailed.
(....)
PELLEY: It was the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office last month that really scared a lot of Republicans away from the previous bill, saying that about 26 million Americans would lose their health insurance if that bill passed. Why did the Republicans in the House move ahead today without the report from the Congressional Budget Office?
JOHN DICKERSON: Well, because, there are reports puts a number on the pain and once you get the momentum, you want to get something passed and also they argue that congressional budget office or at least the White House argues, the Congressional Budget Office can't really account for a bill like this.
