Delay. Delay, again. Over the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delayed the senate’s vote on Trumpcare (again). The vote, which was scheduled for this week, now will not happen until Sen. John McCain returns from recovery after surgery.
This delay underscores yet again how little support Senate majority has for their health care bill. Despite rewriting the bill to try to appease both moderate and conservative Senate Republicans, McConnell does not have the votes to pass the bill, especially without Sen. McCain’s vote. And Trumpcare isn’t only unpopular in the Senate: a new poll finds that the Affordable Care Act has more than twice as much support as Trumpcare.
P.S. The Affordable Care Act increased access to physicals, like the one that found Sen. McCain’s blood clot. The Senate’s health care bill guts that exact kind of coverage.
ACTION OF THE DAY
Turn Out. The Senate’s health care vote may be delayed, but the fight is far from over. Join the People’s Filibuster today on Capitol Hill to kick off 2+ days of speakers and rallies to block Trumpcare. See full details and Facebook event here. Not in the DC area? TrumpcareToolkit.org has you covered.
WHAT’S TRENDING
Made in America. In an attempt to shift focus away from problematic stories like the Senate’s floundering health care bill and the Trump administration’s collusion with Russia during the campaign, the administration is naming this “Made in America week.” In preparation for lots of rhetoric about the importance of producing goods in the U.S., read this piece on how Trump’s budget is damaging to manufacturing and this piece on how Trump’s agenda undermines the American workforce. And, here’s a deep dive into Ivanka Trump’s business and her role in the global economy her father demonizes.
Referendums. Over the weekend, Venezuelans took to the polls in a symbolic vote against current president Nicolás Maduro’s plan to create a constituent assembly. More than 98 percent of voters voted against Maduro, supporting the opposition. Many Venezuelans fear that Maduro will use the commission to do away with democratic elections. The vote was just symbolic, but with over 7 million ballots cast and with such overwhelming support for the opposition, the vote could have serious political implications for Maduro.
Crickets. Every day seems to bring new damning details about the Trump team’s connections to Russia and still most Republican leaders have remained silent. Get a refresher on the implications of Trump Jr.’s meeting with the Russian lawyer, what made it illegal, and what we can do about it in this video.
Off-Kilter. This week, hear from Vox’s Jeff Stein on the efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Also hear from a former health insurance analyst, whose efforts to get Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) to oppose Trumpcare are informed by her time denying people’s insurance claims. Listen here.
UNDER THE RADAR
Grandparents. ICYMI, last week, a federal judge in Hawaii (the same one who blocked Trump’s Muslim Ban) ruled that grandparents and other family members should be exempt from the latest version of Trump’s travel ban. The decision means that refugees with grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and other obviously close family members will be allowed to resettle in the U.S. The Trump Administration almost immediately brought the issue to the Supreme Court, asking the court to reverse Hawaii’s ruling. You’ll be hearing more about this.
GOOD NEWS
Doctor Who. More than 50 years after the first episode of the sci-fi favorite Doctor Who, the show has cast its first-ever woman doctor. Here’s a look back at all the other doctors who’ve led the show since it began in 1963.