Chuck Schumer likens Republicans' repeal plan to 'proposing a second surgery that will surely kill the patient'

On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) delivered an extended health-care analogy to warn Republicans against passing an ObamaCare repeal bill without a ready replacement. The repeal now, replace later strategy is Senate Republicans' plan B after it became apparent Monday night that their plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare at once did not have enough support to move forward.
"It's like if our health-care system was a patient, who came in and needed some medicine. The Republicans proposed surgery. The operation was a failure," Schumer said Tuesday, describing Republicans' botched efforts to pass the Better Care Reconciliation Act, their proposal to repeal and replace ObamaCare. "Now Republicans are proposing a second surgery that will surely kill the patient. Medicine is needed — bipartisan medicine — not a second surgery," he went on, suggesting the Senate should work toward improving ObamaCare rather than disassembling it without a replacement in hand.
Schumer then whipped out a lengthy list of Republicans who had said just a few months ago that repealing now and replacing later simply would not work. He read each of the Republicans' names aloud. "I would tell those colleagues and all the others, the idea hasn't magically gotten better with age," Schumer said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Schumer warned that moving forward with the repeal plan would "hurt" everyone except "the very, very wealthy" and cause our health-care system to "implode." Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) has already released a statement indicating she would not vote for a repeal-only bill because of the effect it would have on residents of her state who rely on Medicaid.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement