Republican rep. calls healthcare bill celebration 'irresponsible'
Republican rep. calls healthcare bill celebration 'irresponsible', Freshman Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) slammed his fellow Republicans for their premature victory lap last week at the White House, after the House passed a healthcare bill to repeal and replace key ObamaCare provisions.
CNN's 'KFile' first reported Gallagher's remarks on a local Wisconsin radio show.
"What are we celebrating? We haven't passed a bill into law. The Senate's gonna re-write this thing," Gallagher said on "The Jerry Bader Show," adding, "I've never seen the Packers pop the champagne at halftime. I just think that's irresponsible."
Gallagher voted in favor of the bill, but he criticized both Democratic and Republican lawmakers for "using issues like this to raise money or just a way to get in power."
He slammed Democrats for taunting their Republican colleagues by singing "Na Na Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" after the healthcare bill passed and suggesting they would lose seats in the upcoming midterm elections because of their votes.
"The Democrats were singing on the House floor, singing on the House floor after the vote," the GOP congressman said. "They were celebrating the vote going forward because they feel like it allowed them to get an electoral advantage."
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| Republican rep. calls healthcare bill celebration 'irresponsible' |
But he said he also disagreed with the Republican celebration in the White House Rose Garden.
"And, honestly, the Republicans who went to celebrate at the White House - I disagree with that approach," he continued.
The bill will now go to the Senate for a vote, with Republican senators and President Trump alike admitting it will likely change before the upper chamber passes it.
