MSNBC’s Mark Halperin: Republicans ‘Making Many of the Same Mistakes’ Obama Made by Being Dishonest on Health Care

On Thursday’s Morning Joe panel, MSNBC’s Mark Halperin criticized the GOP’s attempts to pass the down-to-the-wire Graham-Cassidy health care bill by suggesting they are “making many of the same mistakes” former President Barack Obama made to pass the failing Obamacare legislation: being dishonest.

“They’re making many of the same mistakes President Obama made in passing health care: First and foremost, not being honest about what’s in their legislation and who it will impact,” Halperin said. “And that will make it harder to pass, and if it does pass, will be a huge substantive problem.”

In a February interview with Breitbart News, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) laid out nine dishonest statements Obama made in order to see his legacy health legislation passed.

1. Like your plan? You can keep your plan.
2. Like your doctor? You can keep your doctor.
3. Premiums will go down.
4. Premiums will go down at an average of $2,500 per family.
5. Deductibles will go down.
6. The healthcare.gov website will work.
7. The healthcare.gov website will be secure.
8. Emergency room visits will go down.
9. The 23 healthcare cooperatives will be the end-all, save-all, be-all.

Halperin argued that if Republicans make the same mistake of dishonesty, it would make it more difficult for them to pass the Graham-Cassidy bill, which would use state-level block grants to replace the federally-mandated Affordable Care Act.

However, Halperin also noted that Republicans are “closer today to getting a successful Senate vote and a successful House vote than they were yesterday, according to congressional people I’ve talked to. So, this could happen.”

Republicans have until September 30 to pass the Graham-Cassidy bill; introduced by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Republicans are still short of the 50 votes needed — out of 52 — to ensure its success.

Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) will likely vote against the repeal effort. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and John McCain (R-AZ) are undecided. Other Republicans who could go either way include Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Rob Portman (R-OH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).

 

Some critics have argued that passing this Graham-Cassidy bill would ensure a path to the Democratic dream of a single-payer system. According to that same poll, a 52 percent majority of Republicans oppose single-payer, while 33 percent support it.

A new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found that “Two-thirds of Democratic voters support single-payer, while 18 percent oppose it.”

Adelle Nazarian is a politics and national security reporter for Breitbart News. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.