One has to wonder why the Republicans in Congress are trying to reform health care in secret. Because it's not what the public wants.
In a poll published Tuesday by CBS, nearly three quarters of respondents wanted Senate Republicans to have open debate on their version of the Affordable Care Act replacement. That includes 56 percent of Republicans who say the GOP should be discussing their plan publicly.
Maybe the reason most voters want the bill discussed in public is because Americans have no idea what's in it. Three quarters — 76 percent of respondents — from the same poll say they haven't heard enough about what the bill would do. Most Democrats and a third of independents answered that they will be hurt by the new bill if it is passed and signed by the president.
However, not all Republicans are onboard with this tactic — Sen. Marco Rubio R-Fla. said a few days ago on "Face the Nation," "The Senate is not a place where you can just cook up something behind closed doors and rush it for a vote on the floor."
And for Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a reminder may be needed of what he said about the ethics of "closed door" talks on health care reform.
So it comes down to President Donald Trump, who called the House health care bill — whose effects were known to the public — "mean." Then again, Trump also said that the House bill was, "a great plan” and as “very, very incredibly well-crafted," so it's hard to know where he'll fall on the Senate plan.
Shares