Culture

Paul Ryan Says He’s Been ‘Dreaming’ Of Slashing Medicaid Since He Was A Frat Boy ‘Drinking Out Of A Keg’

On Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver described Paul Ryan as “rock hard” while discussing why he was so excited about Trumpcare. Oliver may have been even more correct than he ever imagined possible. As a young College Republican, Paul Ryan longed for the day when he could tear healthcare services away from the poor, and he gamely revealed this during a Friday discussion with the National Review‘s Rich Lowry.

You can see a short clip above and one with more context below. Here’s the essence of what Ryan said with joy in his heart:

“So Medicaid, sending it back to the states, capping its growth rate. We’ve been dreaming of this since I’ve been around  —  since you and I were drinking out of keg … I’ve been thinking about this stuff for a long time. We’re on the cusp of doing something we’ve long believed in.”

Did you see how Ryan threw his head back like a swooning teenager when he said, “Dreaming”? He may be living his best life right now. Including Medicaid cuts, between 24-26 million people are projected to lose healthcare coverage within a decade under the Trumpcare plan. This is also dependent upon whether one believes the CBO or White House reports (with the latter coming off as more pessimistic). Ryan recently admitted that Trumpcare won’t pass in its current incarnation, but he’s raring to go on some tweaks to fulfill that decades-long fantasy of his.

Ryan’s currently 47 years old, but in case you were curious about what he was like as a frat boy, CNN snagged his 1990 Delta Tau Delta group photo. Back then, he was the guy wearing a turtleneck in a sea of sweatshirts and polos. In this longer clip, he raves about crushing budget-draining entitlements.

(Via National Review & CNN)