Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Obama Lambastes Repeal Plan: There's A 'Fundamental Meanness At The Core Of This Legislation'
The plan is 鈥渘ot a health care bill,鈥 Obama declared in a 939-word message to his nearly 53 million followers on Facebook. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families to the richest people in America.鈥 The 44th president did not mention his successor, Donald Trump, but his scathing criticism and urgent tone 鈥 imploring his supporters to speak out against the 鈥渇undamental meanness at the core of this legislation鈥 鈥 set up a direct public fight with the current White House occupant over the future of the nation鈥檚 health care system. (Nakamura, 6/22)
"Simply put, if there鈥檚 a chance you might get sick, get old, or start a family 鈥 this bill will do you harm,鈥 he added. 鈥淎nd small tweaks over the course of the next couple weeks, under the guise of making these bills easier to stomach, cannot change the fundamental meanness at the core of this legislation.鈥 (Conway, 6/22)
Obama鈥檚 assertion of the bill鈥檚 鈥渕eanness鈥 echoes remarks from President Trump, who reportedly told GOP senators at a meeting last week that the House measure was 鈥渕ean鈥 and that the Senate bill should be more generous. (Greenwood, 6/22)