MSNBC's "Morning Joe" news show on Monday pushed the misleading claim that 13 million people will lose their health care coverage if the Senate Republican tax bill repeals Obamacare's individual mandate.
The Washington Post's fact checker gave Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) "two Pinocchios" last week for his claim that the Senate Republican tax plan is "kicking 13 million people off health insurance to give tax cuts to the wealthy" by adding a repeal of the Obamacare individual mandate, which forces most Americans who do not have health care to pay a fine, to the most recent version of the bill.
The Post defines a "two-Pinocchio" claim as a statement with "significant omissions and/or exaggerations."
MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle echoed this claim during Monday's show, saying the tax bill would be "eliminating health care for 13 million people."
The chyron on MSNBC also claimed, "13 million to lose coverage if Senate tax bill repeals Obamacare's individual mandate."
The Post's fact checker, Glenn Kessler, concluded last week that the 13-million figure is "problematic" and that when the Congressional Budget Office estimates the impact of repealing the individual mandate, it is "describing a voluntary action of people choosing not to buy health insurance," which is not the same as "kicking off" 13 million people. Kessler went on to say that Senate Democrats need to be more specific when they describe the CBO report.
Several Democrats in Congress, including Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), have sent out misleading tweets about 13 million people losing their health care coverage if the individual mandate is repealed.
Republicans now want to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy by taking health care away from 13 million Americans.
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) November 15, 2017
The news just broke – Senate Republicans want to rip health insurance away from 13 million Americans... through the tax bill. pic.twitter.com/23F6aWHorz
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 15, 2017
Families across America should be planning for Thanksgiving and the holidays. Instead, they’re growing worried about the #GOPTaxScam that raises taxes on 36 million and sabotages the health care of 13 million Americans. Just wrong.
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) November 17, 2017
Senate Republicans have taken the crooked #GOPTaxScam and made it deadly with another attack on the #ACA. If they succeed, 13 million Americans could lose health care. As we have before, we must & will defeat the latest GOP attempt to undermine the ACA.
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) November 15, 2017
Don’t forget - 13 million Americans are going to get kicked off their health care. Premiums will skyrocket for millions more. All because of massive handouts to corporations.
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) November 17, 2017
Senate Republicans are trying to sneak a provision into their tax bill that would leave 13 million more Americans uninsured and raise premiums. Yes, this is the same bill that would give tax breaks to corporations at the expense of many middle-class families. We must defeat it.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 17, 2017
Completely unconscionable that Republicans want to kick 13 million off of health insurance in the name of tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) November 15, 2017
First, Republicans tried to sneak tax cuts into a health care bill. Now, they’re trying to sneak health care cuts (stripping coverage from 13 million to be exact) in a tax bill. Stop. Be transparent. Work on bipartisan policy that will actually help Americans. https://t.co/VSpEHAW82J
— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet) November 14, 2017
Our fight against the Republican tax plan requires the same urgency as when they tried to repeal Obamacare. Health care for 13 million Americans is at stake. https://t.co/lNB2noodPL
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) November 15, 2017
16 patient and consumer groups agree: repealing the individual mandate results in 13 million more Americans uninsured and higher premiums – and that’s unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/535Izp0WlU
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) November 14, 2017
The @GOP needs to take a hard look at their tax bill and ask themselves: Is the health care of 13 MILLION Americans really worth making the 1% richer? https://t.co/ZRsuyiBHxw
— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) November 14, 2017