Jimmy Kimmel is taking the latest GOP push for healthcare reform personally, lashing out at co-sponsor Bill Cassidy during the monologue of Tuesday’s show. The host has already taken a few personal shots at the ACA repeal efforts in the past, using his newborn son’s health scare as a starting point to discuss the need for accessible healthcare on his show. This brought Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy on the show to discuss his claim that any healthcare bill that makes it way through the senate has to pass the Jimmy Kimmel test in order to get his vote:
Senate must fulfill #KimmelTest. Cover for pre-existing conditions, adequate coverage. But in a fiscally conservative way that lowers cost.
— Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@BillCassidy) May 6, 2017
As is pretty clear after only a quick glance at the new bill — poised to go to a vote in the coming days before the September 30th deadline — it doesn’t check any of those boxes. As Kimmel puts it, the only Jimmy Kimmel test it does pass is the one where only a kid whose father is Jimmy Kimmel is going to be able to afford coverage.
This leads to a strong monologue that not only shows Kimmel’s own disgust with the new healthcare bill, but also gives you a chance to see a politician basically lie and get caught in a lie on the national television show. Usually it is a little harder than that. Kimmel also lays out his own new Jimmy Kimmel test for Cassidy to use:
“Stop using my name. I don’t want my name on it. There’s a new Jimmy Kimmel test for you, it’s called a lie detector test. You’re welcome to stop by the studio and take it any time.”
The monologue was teased heavily online before it aired and released early, likely to reach as many people as possible. If the host was emotional while discussing his son’s condition and the professionals at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, he is a different kind of emotional here.
He makes it clear that you have to take action if you want to stop this bill from passing. You can’t just like or heart the posts while Congress votes and passes legislation according to Kimmel, you have to call and be proactive in a way that a lot of the members of Congress don’t want you to. Not only does he clearly lay out everybody who is against the bill, including organizations like the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association, he also adds in all of the nations that have managed to figure out healthcare while we still manage to debate it and force people to suffer.
And for the people who will likely leave nasty Facebook comments and Twitter posts, accusing the host of politicizing his son’s health, Kimmel wants them to know that he and has a place where they can send their complaints:
“My family has health insurance, we don’t have to worry about this. But other people do, so you can shove your disgusting comments where you doctor won’t be giving you a prostate exam once they take your healthcare benefits away.”
Kimmel ended the segment by putting the number to call your state’s member of congress on the screen, complete with a fine image of Senator Cassidy. It really does seem like one of the last chances to stop this from happening, so if you care and want to have your voice heard, it might be smart to give a call.
(Via Jimmy Kimmel Live)
