U.S. Rep Mo Brooks: GOP Health Plan Only For ‘Good’ People Who Do Things The ‘Right’ Way

As it turns out, Republicans see unhealthy people the same as they see the poor: As failures.

That’s the takeaway, at least, from Jake Tapper’s CNN interview with U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks from Alabama’s 5th Congressional District. During the Monday interview, Jake asked Brooks about new legislation Republicans are considering to replace Obamacare. In particular, Tapper was concerned with pre-existing conditions, and whether they would still be covered. From the reporter’s understanding, protection for people with prior health problems which currently exists under the ACA would disappear under the new plan. Trump himself, in an interview on CBS’ Face The Nation, told host John Dickerson:

Pre-existing conditions are in the bill. And I just watched another network than yours, and they were saying, ‘Pre-existing is not covered.’ Pre-existing conditions are in the bill. And I mandate it. I said, ‘Has to be.’

However, not only have news reports contradicted that statement, but Rep. Brooks did the idea no favors himself. Tapper asked him whether Trump was asking legislators to change the bill so that it matched his statement, or if Trump simply didn’t understand what was in the bill. Brooks poo-pooed the discrepancy:

That’s not my understanding of the way the bill has been reframed. My understanding is that is that it will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher healthcare costs to contribute more.

Let me distill that for you. That’s a member of the legendary “Freedom Caucus” that has thus far been a thorn in Trump’s side on health care, calling the president either a liar or ignorant.

Why is it so important to Republicans to erase considerations for pre-existing conditions?

Let’s send it right back to Mo Brooks to answer that one:

[The new provisions are] reducing the cost to people who lead good lives, they’re healthy, they’ve done the things to keep their bodies healthy, and right now, those are the people who’ve done things the right way.

There you have it. People with pre-existing conditions clearly haven’t “led good lives,” according to Republicans. If your child has leukemia, they must have done something to deserve it. If you develop asthma from working in one of the coal mines Trump wants so badly to save, obviously you weren’t covering your mouth enough while you breathed. Brooks did allow for the fact that some people might not have been naughty and gotten sick anyway, saying:

I think our society, under those circumstances, needs to help.

Well, yeah. Could you tell us how you plan to do that? We’ll be waiting.

In the meantime, watch the exchange between Tapper and Brooks here:

Featured image via screen capture