The House of Representatives on Thursday voted 217 to 213 to pass the American Health Care Act, a Republican bill aimed at repealing Obamacare and replacing it with more conservative reforms to the country's health care system.
But while Republicans rejoiced at this next step towards repeal, many on the left went on Twitter to lament the impending massacre of thousands, or even millions, of Americans that would result from the AHCA's passage and the potential repeal of Obamacare.
From the halls of Congress, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.) tweeted that after Thursday's vote, the House GOP "will have the death of thousands of [sic] your conscience forever." Murphy subsequently referred to the bill as a "deliberate decision to hurt millions."
House GOP, I hope you slept well last night. Because after this vote, you will have the death of thousands of your conscience forever.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 4, 2017
What just happened - the deliberate decision to hurt millions to fund a millionaire tax cut - isn't America. We will prove it next November.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 4, 2017
The day before the vote, Murphy also insisted that "thousands will die if this bill becomes law."
This is a rare "life or death" vote. Thousands will die if this bill becomes law. Upton amendment is just political cover for cowards.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 3, 2017
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) was also certain that "people will die," but did not say quite how many.
This isn’t football. It’s not about scoring points. #AHCA will devastate Americans’ healthcare. Families will go bankrupt. People will die.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 4, 2017
Similar reactions came from the likes of former Hillary Clinton staffer Matt Ortega, who said that House Republicans "condemn many to death," and Dar'shun Kendrick, a Democratic Georgia State representative, who brought up Hillary Clinton's emails by comparison.
House Republicans voted to take away health care from millions and condemn many to death without insurance.
— Matt Ortega (@MattOrtega) May 4, 2017
Her emails > impending death to millions.#ButHerEmails?
— Dar'shun Kendrick (@DarshunKendrick) May 4, 2017
The left-wing media also foresaw the deaths of Americans resulting from the vote.
"House Republicans vote to sentence millions of Americans to death" was the headline from Daily Kos, a liberal political site.
House Republicans vote to sentence millions of Americans to death https://t.co/nXH5jnnoUH
— Daily Kos (@dailykos) May 4, 2017
The same responses came from several left-leaning journalists, including one who proposed a new Bud Light slogan: "You've just condemned millions of people to death. How about a nice cold Bud Light?"
Rape is made a preexisting condition; millions with chronic conditions will die; children among most vulnerable.
This is how CNN frames it. https://t.co/rLVFGmIP5Y
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) May 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/andizeisler/status/860195218989002753
Trump voters, millions of those veterans, those elderly, the children you love will now lose their health care and likely die. Well done.
— Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) May 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/rachel/status/860197086998007809