Thank goodness Sen. Chris Murphy is willing and able to meet this moment with the fire and determination some other Democrats seem to lack.
In a video posted to Blue Sky, Murphy gave what I consider the definitive take on the Senate passage of the Republicans’ Billionaires’ Bonanza Bill, followed by the rallying cry we all need:
“I am shaking with fury over what just happened. That’s the most monstrous piece of legislation I have ever voted on in my time in Congress,” Murphy began.
“What do those Republican senators go back and tell their constituents that they did?” Murphy wondered. “In the final speech, the only thing they mentioned was the money for the border.”
But Republicans have already militarized the border, have already “created an immigration police state,” Murphy added. So what more can they do? It’s a good question, though I hate to think about the answer.
Then he listed some of the horrific, unconscionable harm the bill will cause:
MURPHY: They didn’t mention anything about the fact this bill kicks 17 million people off of their healthcare. There are going to be thousands of people who die in this country because they lose their access to healthcare. There’ll be tens of thousands of other lives that are needlessly destroyed.
This is the biggest cut in child nutrition in the history of the country, I think. There are going to be moms and dads who literally watch their children go hungry.
And why? Because they wanted to pad the pockets of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago friends. That’s the only reason that they are throwing people off of healthcare, that they are rendering little children hungry so that some billionaire can get an extra $200,000 tax cut. It’s just repulsive what they did.
As depressing and infuriating as all that is, Murphy also stressed that there’s a “small but not insignificant chance” of stopping the bill from passing in the House of Representatives. “So, let’s get to work. Let’s keep fighting. Let’s not give up,” he said.
He’s right. Republicans can only afford to lose three votes in the House. There are steps we can all take to keep the bill from getting to Donald Trump’s desk.
But even if the bill does pass the House, we have to keep fighting, Murphy urged. If the bill passes, “We have to make sure that every single senator, every single congressman who voted for this from a swing state or a swing district never sets foot in this building again,” he continued. “If it does become law, we’re going to make sure these people pay politically for what they did.”
Amen.
