Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional monologue about his newborn son’s open heart surgery and the ACA was likely the standout in this week’s loud chorus criticizing the House GOP’s AHCA or “Trumpcare.” It brought some of the realities of the ACA to a national audience, away from the typical bubbles we live in on a daily basis — even if it didn’t help stop the repeal from narrowly passing in the House. Kimmel’s story sparked discussion, brought out support from all sides mid-week, and even helped boost donations to Children’s Hospital.
That doesn’t mean some — like Bill Maher — aren’t ready to lob some criticism, not necessarily at Kimmel but more at the ideas he presented. Thankfully, it has nothing to do with Kimmel’s situation with his son — it would take a real heel to criticize that on television — but Maher does take exception with Kimmel’s assertion that all sides land along the same lines on basic healthcare. When Kimmel says Republicans and Democrats all agree that “If your baby’s going to die and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make,” Maher stops his audience from applauding and proceeds to rant:
“Unfortunately that’s not true, One side wants to tax rich people so that babies don’t have to die and one side is mostly against that. And this lets Republicans off the hook…
“Let’s not f*ck around with this, we are not on the same page with this.”
Maher also points out that putting all politicians on the same level is why people don’t vote, something we saw during the 2016 election and see again later in this episode. At the same time, the panel discussion ends by pointing out that Trump was helped in securing that victory by promising people will not lose their healthcare. It was repeal and replace, plus a lot of talk about things being bigger, better, and for everybody.
While Jimmy Kimmel’s speech was important, as Maher and most of his panel agree, the bigger factor in what happens next will be if and when people lose their current healthcare.
Maher sprinkled healthcare talk throughout Friday’s show, kicking things off with a monologue that made fun of the celebration in The White House rose garden and saying that the GOP told Jimmy Kimmel’s baby “go screw yourself.” It also led to Maher dropping a New Rule that called out the folks who characterized the 2016 election as a “choice between the lesser of two evils.” He includes plenty of other examples from Trump’s first 100 days, including his many questionable cabinet positions, and proceeds to lecture all of the major names that seemed to put Clinton in the same basket with Trump.
(Via Real Time)