Krauthammer says a vote on clean repeal would be ‘suicidal’ — here’s why
Conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer said on Fox News Wednesday that the plan to vote on a “clean repeal” of Obamacare after failure of a repeal and replace bill was “suicidal.”
“Look, I think the chances of a resurrection here are rather small,” he said. “If it succeeded, it would be the most spectacular since Lazarus, and I’m not sure that these people have divine powers.
“The problem is that they chose an issue on which inherently there are huge divisions among Republicans,” he explained. “And I don’t think it sort of questions the very existence or even the value of the party. They made a strategic error in doing this. And in part, it was for tactical reasons. They wanted to repeal health care reform so that they could get a new, better bottom line to work with in doing tax reform.”
“So it was kind of an inside baseball parliamentary maneuver,” he said. “They ran into the problem that after seven years what they were united on seven years ago was different because people have become accustomed to the new entitlement and that’s why they’re split.
“I think they have a good chance of working out something on tax reform,” Krauthammer continued. “That’s their strength. That’s what I would have recommended they start with. I think the best thing to do now, ironically, is to walk away.”
“I think it’s going to be suicidal to go ahead with the vote next week,” he said. “It would be a repudiation.”
“It’s going to be a vote to proceed, meaning that there are Republicans who will vote against it,” he concluded, “and there will be enough, I think, to shoot it down, are saying ‘we’re done with this.’ Well, you don’t have to have it officially on the record, just walk away and go immediately to something perhaps even radical on tax reform.”
The Senate Republicans’ Obamacare repeal and replace legislation was abandoned after Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) dramatically tweeted in unison that they were against the bill Monday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) then announced that the Senate would vote on a “clean repeal” bill.
Some conservatives have grown fed up with the lack of success in the Senate, and are calling for the GOP to replace McConnell. Erick Erickson said that it appeared McConnell was purposely obstructing President Donald Trump’s agenda in order to scapegoat conservatives.
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