Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) joined the Starbucks-free set of Morning Joe this morning to double-down on his calls to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“This bill can’t be fixed. I think it’s built on completely flawed premises and internal contradictions,” the Senator said.
His appearance comes during a media frenzy when the ACA, which pundits colloquially call “Obamacare,” has been the target of fresh criticism from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and national Republican leaders. Cruz declared that any vote for the budget of the United States that funds the ACA is akin to voting for “Obamacare.” The junior Senator from Pennsylvania has not been a participant in these recent demands.
“We’re [the GOP] not completely unified, as you know, and that’s a little bit problematic.”
“When you control only one out of the three [branches of government], you don’t get to dictate all of the terms.”
Although Toomey would not criticize Cruz, he believed that Congress could dismantle the ACA piece-by-piece. One of the items that Toomey would like to peel from the act is the medical device tax. On his Senate website, Toomey says that the medical device tax will cost the Pennsylvania economy $100 million per year. Toomey said that it was not “rocket science” to know that the ACA hinders businesses and that it was contrary to the interest of creating jobs.
“Healthcare should be controlled by individuals,” is how the Senator succinctly put it.
He opposes any unilateral action from President Obama to implement the Affordable Care Act. Instead, Toomey provided his own “Serenity Prayer” on how he would defund the president’s healthcare law.
“Systematically repeal the pieces we can, delay the things we can’t repeal and wait for the days we can repeal the rest.”
Earlier in the segment, Chuck Todd hinted that Pat Toomey was a Republican-In-Name-Only (RINO) for not signing a letter to defund Obamacare. However, Scarborough countered that the definition of a RINO is a politician who knows how to win.
Toomey narrowly defeated Joe Sestak (D-Delaware) in 2010 and the retired admiral has already made it clear he intends on facing Tommey again in 2016.
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14 Responses
Aca
Shame on all of you. How can you vote for Trumpcare. I can’t wait till it’s time to vote you out. You voted for the rich and young. Screw the rest of us. Just remember we will remember how you voted come election time. You are a piece of crap. I will be surprised if any of you actually read these messages because you never vote to help us.
Like Odumbacare or not, ITS THE LAW! MY concern is the fact that the TP loonies holding the gov’t hostage over this is reprehensible, irrespomsible, & shows the complete lack of respect and care that they should have for their constituents. Are they aware people will DIE? The NIH(nat’l institute of health) funds experimental care for those with cancer and other killer diseases that have not responded to traditional therapy. The funding is no longer there now. If you’ve ever had a loved one with cancer, you know how valuable every day with them is. The TP loonies have even taken THAT from too many people with their unreasonable hatred of everything not uber-conservative republican. THESE men and women are on a par with terrorists for what they’re doing to our once-great country!
Repeal obamacare. The president has made 19 changes to Obamacare since it was enacted. Big business and Congress both have benefited from this through waivers and carve outs, just to name 2. Nancy Pelosi said that the bill had to pass in order to know what is in it. Now we know. And what we know is congress, big business, unions… Don’t want it. Does anyone think the president is going to the exchanges for his health insurance? I didn’t see him on TV signing up. This bill is no longer the original bill that was passed. REFORM HEALTH INSURANCE. QUIT THE LOBBYING. Open it up to competition between the states. All this bill does is line the pockets of the insurance companies and politicians with more of our money.
What you and the other republicans are doing is not only not good for our country; it’s not even reasonable.
Paying our government workers and military contractors, etc has nothing to do with the healthcare law.
I like green eggs and ham,but I don.t care for Obama, or Obamacare,either way you look at it. Don’t fund it !!!!
Daino, Toomey already doomed for trying to ram new gun laws down our throats. Criminals don’t follow laws. Your fight for good benefits and healthcare with the City for over 30 years was noble but with this law theCity will just put all workers at below 30 hours and 35 years of hard negotiating will be gone ,gone. gone. Toomey better prove he is not a RHINO with this vote or he will be gone gone gone.
Betty-
Don’t blame Obama for employers wanting to be jerks and cut benefits. The GOP has fought for years to block legislation requiring health benefits for employees, maternity leave, etc.
The full-time/part time rule should be modified that have to pay for your health insurance, but if you work part-time they have to pay only a percentage (based on hours) and not zero if you are below 30 hours.
If the GOP had it’s way, employers wouldn’t pay for any health care benefits for full time workers. Also, insurance companies would be able to deny you coverage for pre-existing conditions.
The GOP hasn’t come up with an alternative.
Obamacare is going to cause my low wage son hours at work. Starting January 1st, he will only be able to work 29.5 hours a week.Cutting hours means less money he is able to earn. He is not alone. The down trodden, the ones whose paycheck is spent before it is earned, they are the ones being racked. Please defund.
Please stand strong. Continue efforts to defund obamacare. Obamacare is a disaster for America.
toomey there no way defund obamacare would have any change pass in the senate let alone the president will veto the bill
Okay Toomey-
What is the supposedly “flawed” premise, and why do you believe it is flawed?
Also , “When you control only one out of the three [branches of government], you don’t get to dictate all of the terms.”
Do you mean the Dem White House or the GOP Supreme Court or the GOP House (which is half-a branch of government)?
When it comes to the Affordable Care Act, ALL THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT approved it.
As for “Systematically repeal the pieces ..” that the GOP strategy for undoing Roe v. Wade by dismantling the clinics and requiring unnecessary ultra-sounds and other barriers.
” A vote for cloture is a vote for Obamacare.”
All else is rhetoric.
Memo to Repubs: The ACA is the LAW. Romney ran on repealing the ACA on day one; Romney lost. Big. Get over it. A suggestion – short of gerrymandering and voter suppression: WIN AN ELECTION!!!!
Notwithstanding Scarborough’s sniping, Toomey is on-board with the defunding effort, for both practical and philosophical reasons.