Senate Republicans are working on their version of the American Health Care Act this week, which John Oliver highlighted on Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight. He described the AHCA as “an act which answers the question, ‘What if a bus-stop ad for a personal injury lawyer was a health care policy?'”
Last week, it was reported that President Trump met with Republican senators and called the House’s AHCA bill “mean,” which Oliver found entertaining and joked that afterward, Trump folded his arms, stomped on the ground and “tuckered himself out” until he fell asleep on the floor.
Republican senators have been unusually secretive about their version of the health care bill, with reports claiming they plan to bypass the committee hearing and markup process, despite how many people the AHCA would affect. In C-SPAN footage, Sen. Claire McCaskill is seen asking Sen. Orrin Hatch if there will be a hearing for the health care bill that will be brought to the floor, and Hatch fumbled for an answer. An aide walked over and whispers in his ear, “Democrats have been invited to participate in this process and we are open to all ideas and suggestions.” Hatch turns and says, “Well, I don’t know that there is going to be another hearing, but we have invited you to participate.”
“Oh, that is pathetic,” said Oliver. “He really should not have lines fed to him, when he already looks like…,” Oliver trailed off as an aide walked over and whispered loudly to the host, “ventriloquist dummy of Mike Pence, you f—ing idiot.” He promptly repeats the line loudly.
