To Help Kamala Harris, Mike Johnson Vows To Kill Obamacare

The speaker is speaking.
Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

As you probably know, we are entering the final week of the dead-and-dead presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, with 19 electoral votes in Pennsylvania as the most sought-after prize for both campaigns. Team Trump is already having a tough week in the Keystone State because of a racist joke about Puerto Rico that one of Trump’s comedian friends told at his wild rally in Madison Square Garden, which which is not going down well with a significant group of Puerto Rican voters. in northeastern Pennsylvania. Now, Harris has received help in one area from House Speaker Mike Johnson, as NBC News reports:

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson took a dig at Obamacare during an event in Pennsylvania on Monday, telling the crowd that there would be “huge changes” to health care in America if Donald Trump were to win the election.

“Health care reform is going to be a big part of the plan. I’m not saying we’re going to have a strong agenda for the first 100 days, we have a lot on the table,” said Johnson, R-La. ., Bethlehem while campaigning for GOP House candidate Ryan Mackenzie, according to. video obtained by NBC News.

“No Obamacare?” One attendee asked Johnson, referring to the law Democrats passed in 2010, also known as The Affordable Care Act.

“No Obamacare,” Johnson replied, rolling his eyes. “The ACA is ingrained, we need a big change to make this work and we have a lot of ideas to do that.”

Harris’ campaign immediately jumped on his comments.

Health care is not at all an issue that Trump wants Republicans to talk about. The effort to repeal Obamacare was one of the least popular measures of his presidency, and, not coincidentally, one of his biggest mistakes. It’s also one of the places where Harris chose him. He compounded his problems during a September debate with his opponent when he would only cite the “ideas of the plan” to replace Obamacare even though he has spent years alone yet to be revealed.

Worse, Johnson’s words strongly suggest two things that could be dangerous for Trump in the eyes of voters: (1) He plans to make repealing Obamacare a priority once— once Trump wins and the Republicans control Congress, which means it will be removed. entering a large budget reconciliation bill, and went further than possible, and (2) his party’s plans for a strong health care policy, aimed at replacing central insurance policies of Obamacare with a “free market” that wants to return. the health system until the days when insurers aggressively discriminated against anyone who was old, sick or poor. Johnson’s remarks will also give Democrats a chance to remind voters that the latest “repeal Obamacare” package aimed at ending Medicaid, the government’s health care program for the poor and a key part of the health net. social security state. In addition, Johnson appeared to be telling Pennsylvanians that re-elected Trump doesn’t care if his health plans make Americans unhappy, according to NBC:

“We want to bring a blowtorch to the regulatory regime. These organizations are weaponized against the people, they are crushing the free market; they are like boots on the necks of job creators and entrepreneurs and risk takers. So health care is beauty is one of the branches, and we need this everywhere,” said Johnson. “And Trump will be great. I mean you’ll only have one time. It cannot stand for re-election. So you will think about the legacy and we will fix these things. ”

Taking the “blowtorch” to health care regulations that guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions and discrimination that lowers costs is probably not what voters are hoping for in a Trump administration that offers returns to most of America. And the Harris campaign is certainly grateful that Trump’s loyal congressional ally is making the announcement. Could that be the “little secret” Trump has hinted he and Johnson will reveal after the election? If so, the Advocate spilled the beans in the wrong place and at the wrong time.