On Friday House Republicans joined their Senate colleagues and approved a measure that will allow them to repeal Obamacare using a process known as budget reconciliation. Meanwhile, the pressure is growing on them to come up with some kind of replacement plan.

Unfortunately, they still don't have one.

At this point, it seems very likely that when Republicans finally scrap the Affordable Care Act, the millions of people who depend on it to survive will be flat out of luck.

So what does the GOP have to say to those people?

Not much.

That was made very clear last night at a CNN town hall featuring Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

When a former lifelong Republican told Speaker Ryan that he'd be dead if it weren't for Obamacare, all Ryan could muster in response was another empty promise about replacing Obamacare with "something much better" somewhere down the road.

Jeff Jeans: At 49, I was given six weeks to live with a very curable type of cancer. We offered three times the cost of my treatment, which was rejected. They required an insurance card. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I'm standing here today alive. Being both a small-business person and someone with preexisting conditions, I rely on the Affordable Care Act to be able to purchase my own insurance. Why would you repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement?

Speaker Ryan: "Oh, we wouldn't do that, we want to replace it with something better. First of all, I'm glad you're standing here. I mean, really, seriously."

Right. Amazing.

Ryan had 7 years to prepare for that moment - and he completely blew it.

If he can't answer that very simple question, then he has absolutely zero business repealing Obamacare.

-Thom


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