And now they've actually managed to get enough votes to open up debate on health care in the senate (although it required a return by John McCain post-cancer surgery and a tie-breaking vote by Pence in order to squeak through.) However, things are a mess for the republicans (as certain votes require a 60 vote majority to proceed, and its doubtful that they can muster that.)
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-sets-sights-skinny-repeal-obamacare-tuesday-s-voting-n786296A few notes:
- this really illustrates how hypocritical the republicans many republicans are... some will complain about the way Trump and the republicans are acting (such as how the way the bill was crafted in secret), but when called upon, most will ignore their claimed principles and follow directions.
- Trump has really been pushing for this, even making threats to republican senators who might have voted against the bill
I really hope the republicans manage to actually repeal Obamacare. Yes, it will be horrible. Yes, millions will be left uninsured (and some may die). But, so many Republican supporters are sticking by Trump because they can't imagine him doing anything bad... having their health insurance disappear might just be a wake up call that "voting has consequences".
Oh, and speaking of insurance, there are hints that Trump doesn't even understand the difference between health insurance and life insurance, as he was making claims that young people could get insured for $12/year.
http://fortune.com/2017/07/20/donald-trump-health-insurance-comments/