Democrats Try To Rally As They’re Criticized For Having Celebrated Too Soon
Between the debt deal cut with President Donald Trump and the single-payer proposal by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) -- which Sen. Lindsey Graham says is "a gift from the political gods" -- some people are starting to wonder if the Democrats got ahead of themselves. Meanwhile, lawmakers are trying to get their base motivated one more time to stave off the latest round of repeal-and-replace efforts.
The Washington Post:
Democrats Ask Base For One More ACA Rescue Mission
Senate Democrats, who spent weeks thinking they would won the fight to keep the Affordable Care Act in place, are mobilizing alongside progressive activists for 11 more days on the defensive. “They’re going to hear from us one more time!” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said at a Tuesday afternoon rally outside the Capitol. “Protesting, picketing, emailing — you name it!” The multilevel campaign to block the Republican bill consists of everything progressives did to stop previous iterations — from “melting the phones” of Republican senators to waging sit-ins at their offices. (Weigel, 9/19)
The Hill:
Cruel September Shifts To Democrats
Democrats feeling whiplash over the GOP’s new effort to repeal ObamaCare have sought to step up their opposition to the new bill, which could be headed for a vote next week. After a Monday night floor protest, Democrats pointed to a bipartisan letter from 10 governors on Tuesday as a reason to kill the GOP bill. (Carney, 9/19)
Politico:
Did Democrats Jump The Gun With Single-Payer Splash?
Last week, a group of Senate Democrats rallied behind single-payer health care at a splashy news conference. This week, the same group is scrambling to beat back the GOP's latest Obamacare repeal blitz. The contrast shows the chasm between the two parties’ approach to health care: Republicans claim that Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” pitch fueled their revived repeal effort, an argument that even Democratic single-payer foes dismiss as untrue. Yet some Democrats wish more attention had been paid to protecting the Affordable Care Act before some of the party's biggest names turned to single payer. (Schor, 9/19)
Roll Call:
Single Payer Democrats: Save Obamacare Now, Single Payer Later
Democratic senators who threw their support behind single-payer health care last week are prioritizing the 2010 health care law as Republicans take one more crack at repealing it. At an event with Democratic senators and liberal activists, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who sponsored the single-payer bill, criticized Republicans for trying to ram through a health care proposal from Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Dean Heller of Nevada and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. (Garcia, 9/19)
