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Warren: Senate GOP Health Care Bill Paid for With 'Blood Money'

June 22, 2017

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) said Thursday on the Senate floor that Republicans are paying for their newly released health care bill with "blood money."

Warren's comments came after Senate Republicans released the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, their version of the House's American Health Care Act to replace Obamacare.

The Senate bill was met almost immediately with outraged dissent from Democrats, including Warren.

The Massachusetts Democrat called the legislation a "monstrosity of a bill," and made clear her belief that it will be paid for with "blood money."

"All those tax cuts don't come cheap. They start to add up after a while," Warren said. "So Senate Republicans had to make a choice. How to pay for all those juicy tax cuts for their rich buddies?"

"I'll tell you how: blood money," she added.

Warren insisted that Senate Republicans, in drafting the bill, had been "dreaming up even meaner ways to kick dirt in the face of the American people."

"Senate Republicans weren't making the House bill better. Nope! Not one bit," she said. "Instead, they were sitting around the conference room table dreaming up even meaner ways to kick dirt in the face of American people and take away their health insurance."

Money that the bill saves through reducing tax subsidies, letting states decide whether to cover conditions, and cutting Medicaid is all "blood money" according to Warren.

"These cuts are blood money. People will die," she said.

"Let's be clear: Senate Republicans are paying for tax cuts for the wealthy with American lives," she said.