News / Politics

US Senator Sanders hails failure of Republican healthcare plan

Tuesday, 18 July 2017 9:51 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 18 July 2017 9:56 AM ]

Former US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders

Former US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders has said he's "delighted" to see Republican senators failing to pass the Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill.

"I am delighted to see that the disastrous Republican healthcare plan will not succeed," he wrote in a statement on Monday night, after Republican failed to gather adequate support for the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) despite having a 52-48 majority over Democrats in the 100-member Senate.

"The American people want to proceed to healthcare for all, not see 22 million Americans thrown off of the healthcare they currently have. This is a great victory for the millions of Americans who stood up and fought back against this dangerous legislation,” he stated.

The latest GOP attempt to repeal and replace the American Care Act, former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, was fatally wounded in the Senate when two more Republican senators voiced their opposition to the legislation.

US Senator Bernie Sanders exits the stage after addressing the New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont delegation breakfast at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on July 27, 2016 in Essington, Pennsylvania. (Photo by AFP)

The announcements from Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas effectively stalled the bill in the upper chamber. Senators Susan Collins and Rand Paul had already opposed the bill, arguing that could slash funding for Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor and the disabled.

This is yet another embarrassing failure for Republicans, who saw Trump’s election victory as an opportunity to deliver on their decade-long campaign promise to introduce a new healthcare system.

A new poll shows that a majority of Americans oppose the GOP legislation.

The Washington Post/ABC News poll, released on Monday, shows 50 percent prefer Obamacare while only 24 percent prefer the Republican health plan, also called Trumpcare. Thirteen percent of respondents said they like neither.

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