Senator Cantwell's plan to stop Republican health care bill

The Senate could vote as early as this week on the health care bill. And Washington Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell spoke in Seattle recently about how she’s trying to oppose it.

The measure calls for reducing money for Medicaid. The bill would also cut taxes for high-income Americans.

Dr. Ben Danielson is the senior medical director of Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic.

“I have to start off by, I guess, first congratulating all of the millionaires on the incredible gift that they’re about to get,” Danielson said.

He said his clinic mostly serves Medicaid families and kids. Danielson said jokes aside, passing this bill would mean taking away important services from them.

Republicans in support of the new health care bill say the Affordable Care Act needs to be fixed. But not all Republicans fully support this legislation. Even President Trump reportedly called a different version of the bill mean.

“When President Trump called the House health care bill mean, I couldn’t agree more,” Cantwell said. “And now the Senate doubling down on that I think means, it’s extra mean.”

Cantwell is hoping to organize opposition to the bill. She said she’s focusing on senators who previously said they didn’t want to cut Medicaid. And she said she also hopes to get governors to weigh in with their concerns.

Washington state officials say about 700,000 Washingtonians could lose health coverage under the Senate plan.