Republican hopes of repealing and replacing ObamaCare hit yet another brick wall in the Senate on Tuesday, effectively killing current efforts. While the other networks in the Big Three (ABC and NBC) remarked on the failure of action after seven years of promises, the reporting on CBS Evening News took on a mocking tone filled with glee.
“They control the White House and the Congress, but Republicans could not deliver on the promise they've been making since the day ObamaCare became law: to repeal and replace it,” quipped Anchor Anthony Mason at the top of the program. “In a humiliating defeat, Senate GOP leaders could not muster the votes today to do either.”
In response to the failure to repeal and replace, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to hold a vote on repeal only and scheduled it for later next week. So, CBS Correspondent Nancy Cordes kicked off her report by championing the so-called “moderate” Republicans who were standing up against the straight repeal vote:
Senate Republicans were reeling today after their Hail Mary pass fell short. Three moderate Republican women announced they would not vote to repeal ObamaCare without a replacement. West Virginia's Shelly Moore Capito said, "I did not come to Washington to hurt people." Maine's Susan Collins agreed.
Cordes seemed to find a bit of humor in the disorganization of Senate Republicans, noting that they were “so all over the board that two replacement plans are now in the dustbin.” “Senate moderates opposed the deep medicate cuts,” she added, continuing to claim something that had been proven a lie. “While conservatives said too much of ObamaCare was being left in place.”
“If that vote fails, do you then begin working with Democrats,” Cordes wanted to know of McConnell during a press briefing. And on the topic of Democrats, Cordes touted how those Senators congratulated the anti-GOP protesters. “Democrats said it was proof grassroots opposition works. On Twitter, they hailed everyone who sent letters, made calls, or attended a town hall,” she hyped.
“It's a great day. It's a great victory for the health care of the American people,” Senate Democrat Ed Markey told Cordes.
Cordes was visibly excited by the idea of Senate Republicans being forced to capitulate to Democrats:
The GOP chair of the Senate Health Committee announced this afternoon that he will soon begin holding hearings on ways to stabilize the individual insurance market. And that is a big change because up until now, Republicans have not been willing to consider changes to Obamacare that do not involve repeal.
CBS never showed this kind of glee when talking about the failures of Democrats. Actually, they rarely mention them at all. Then again, this is the network that claimed the GOP would have the blood of innocent people on their hands if they were to pass the cuts to Medicaid, which didn’t really exist.
Transcript below:
CBS Evening News
July 18, 2017
6:31:25 PM EasternANTHONY MASON: Good evening, I'm Anthony Mason. They control the White House and the Congress, but Republicans could not deliver on the promise they've been making since the day ObamaCare became law: to repeal and replace it. In a humiliating defeat, Senate GOP leaders could not muster the votes today to do either. Democrats called on Republicans to work with them now not to replace ObamaCare but to fix it. Nancy Cordes is at the Capitol.
[Cuts to video]
MIKE ROUNDS: This is not a good day.
NANCY CORDES: Senate Republicans were reeling today after their Hail Mary pass fell short. Three moderate Republican women announced they would not vote to repeal ObamaCare without a replacement. West Virginia's Shelly Moore Capito said, "I did not come to Washington to hurt people." Maine's Susan Collins agreed.
SUSAN COLLINS: I believe it would cause the insurance markets to go into turmoil, and I don't think it is the right way to proceed.
CORDES: She's got back-up from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which determined a 2015 repeal bill with no replacement would have pushed 18 million people off insurance within a year. The CBO says that this approach decimates the individual market.
LINDSEY GRAHAM: This may not be a viable option, but we all voted for it before. So repealing, we're all for. Replacing, we're all over the board.
CORDES: So all over the board that two replacement plans are now in the dustbin. Senate moderates opposed the deep medicate cuts, while conservatives said too much of ObamaCare was being left in place.
PAUL RYAN: Well, we’d like to see the Senate move on something.
CORDES: Under pressure today from the House and the White House...
MIKE PENCE: And Congress needs to do their job now.
CODES: ...Senate leader Mitch McConnell announced he will hold a vote to repeal ObamaCare without a replacement even though he knows it can't pass. If that vote fails, do you then begin working with Democrats?
MITCH MCCONNELL: We'll have to see what happens. We will have demonstrated that Republicans by themselves are not prepared at this particular point to do a replacement.
PROTESTORS: Kill the bill!
CORDES: Democrats said it was proof grassroots opposition works. On Twitter, they hailed everyone who sent letters, made calls, or attended a town hall. Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey.
ED MARKEY: It's a great day. It's a great victory for the health care of the American people.
[Cuts back to live]
CORDES: The GOP chair of the Senate Health Committee announced this afternoon that he will soon begin holding hearings on ways to stabilize the individual insurance market. And that is a big change because up until now, Republicans have not been willing to consider changes to Obamacare that do not involve repeal. Anthony?
MASON: Nancy Cordes at the Capitol. Thank you, Nancy.
