The senator behind Republicans’ latest effort to repeal and replace the Obamacare law has fired back at Jimmy after the late night TV host called him a liar.
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy insisted on Wednesday that his bill passes the ‘Jimmy Kimmel test.’
During an appearance on CNN’s ‘New Day program,’ Cassidy said more people would be covered under his health care legislation.
‘I’m sorry he does not understand,’ Cassidy said of Kimmel.
He insisted that that his proposal would ‘protect those with pre-existing conditions.’
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said Wednesday morning on CNN that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel ‘does not understand’ the Obamacare replacement bill he panned Tuesday night
Cassidy insisted that his bill would cover sick children like Kimmel’s son, who was morn in April with a congenital heart defect
Kimmel made a plea on his program in May that no child should be denied medical care under an Obamacare replacement.
Cassidy was a guest on Kimmel’s show after the late-night comedian revealed that his newborn son underwent open-heart surgery due to a congenital defect just hours after he was born on April 21.
In an appeal to politicians not to do away with the Affordable Health Care Act, Kimmel said in May that his family’s ordeal made him aware of the need for free healthcare for children.
‘I hope you never have to go there but if you do you’ll see so many kids from so many financial backgrounds being cared for so well with so much compassion.
‘If your baby is going to die it should’t matter how much money you make,’ he said then.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the bill’s other Senate sponsor, said Kimmel regurgitated a ‘liberal talking point’ about the legislation without contacting Cassidy to hear him out
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel accused a Republican senator spearheading the latest effort to repeal Obamacare of ‘lying to my face’ on Tuesday
During Kimmel’s May 1 broadcast, Cassidy told him that he would only back a health care measure that passed ‘the Jimmy Kimmel test’, which the senator said would enable a sick child ‘in the first year of life’ to be covered for cases like that which affected Billy Kimmel regardless of income level.
On Tuesday Kimmel claimed that ‘this guy, Bill Cassidy, just lied right to my face.’
‘I don’t know what happened,’ Kimmel said. ‘Not only did he fail “the Jimmy Kimmel test,” he failed the Bill Cassidy test.’
‘It seemed like he was being honest,’ Kimmel said of Cassidy on Tuesday.
Kimmel claimed said the new legislation being pushed by Cassidy and Graham did not fulfill the promises Cassidy made.
‘Your child with the pre-existing condition will get the care he needs if – and only if – his father is Jimmy Kimmel. Otherwise, you might be screwed,’ he said.
He went on to say how Cassidy had in the past promised coverage for all, no discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, lower premiums for middle-class families and no life-time caps.
‘And guess what? The new bill does none of those things,’ Kimmel said.
In an impassioned six-minute monologue on his ABC show, Kimmel tore into Senator Bill Cassidy (seen right appearing with Kimmel on his May 8 show) of Louisiana for promoting legislation that he claimed could result in millions of Americans losing their health insurance
Wednesday morning on ‘Fox & Friend,’ South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is co-sponsoring Cassidy’s Obamacare replacement bill, said Kimmel spoke out of turn.
Kimmel, he said, was ‘describing Obamacare’ when he complained about the lack of a guarantee of health care for everyone who needs it.
‘About 70 per cent of the counties in this country are down to one provider. Many of them have lost all choice. Obamacare is collapsing around us,’ he said.
‘I understand the emotional nature of having a sick child,’ he said of Kimmel, ‘and we’re all grateful your child is doing well.’
Cassidy was a guest on Kimmel’s show after the late-night comedian revealed that his newborn son Billy underwent open-heart surgery due to a congenital defect just hours after he was born on April 21
Kimmel shared this photo of his son ‘helping’ him write his monologue on Tuesday
Graham said that insurance plans under his bill ‘requires preexisting illnesses to be covered’ through block grants to states. ‘We run it through the CHIPs program, the children’s health program that’s been in existence for 20 years.’
‘And I bet you this,’ he addded.
‘I bet you he never called Senator Cassidy and said would you please set this straight? I bet he looked at some liberal talking point, bought it hook, line, and sinker, and went after Bill Cassidy without talking to him, and I think that’s unfair.’
Cassidy told Kimmel in May that he would only support a bill that provided coverage for all, didn’t discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions, lowered premiums for middle-class families, and did away with lifetime caps.
Three hours after he was born, a sonogram revealed that a pulmonary valve in Billy’s heart was completely blocked. Now the comedian says his son is doing well
Kimmel said on Tuesday that the latest attempt to repeal Obamacare meets none of those criteria.
‘Before you post a nasty Facebook message saying I’m politicizing my son’s health problems, I want you to know: I am politicizing my son’s health problems because I have to,’ Kimmel said to applause from the live studio audience.
‘My family has health insurance we don’t have to worry about this, but other people do,’ he said.
‘So, you can shove your disgusting comments where your doctor won’t be giving you a prostate exam once they take your health care benefits away.’