BROADCASTS.com

b"Without even knowing what bill they were actually voting on, fifty Republican Senators voted on Tuesday to proceed to debate some scheme or another to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), or just repeal it, or even just kick the can down the road to worry about it later in conference with the U.S. House. They had help from Sen. John McCain, who flew back from Arizona after surgery and a diagnosis of brain cancer, and a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence. Only two GOP Senators (Collins of Maine and Murkowski of Alaska) had the courage to join all of the Democrats and vote 'no', though McCain, just after his 'yes' vote, offered remarks excoriating Republican Senate leadership for their secretive process in creating a bill without committee processes or input from Democrats. We're joined by journalist and health care reformer Jackie Schechner to help us try and make sense of what is being characterized as one of 'the most chaotic, rudderless, un-Senate-like' moments in American history. She explains how today's process differs from the one that resulted in ObamaCare in 2009, and charges that the various GOP plans, if adopted, will result not only in tens of millions losing health care coverage, but in many of them dying in the bargain. Schechner also explains how related moves from both Congress and the White House suggest the U.S. is rapidly devolving into an authoritarian nation, and she has a few critical words for Democratic Party leadership as well. Also today -- speaking of authoritarianism -- Trump continues his extraordinary attacks on his own Attorney General (we discuss why), and the President's new Communications Director vows to purge White House staffers who leak to the media and aren't sufficiently loyal to the President...according to a number of leaking White House staffers..."