Senator apologizes for calling Obamacare fans the 'stupidest, dumbass people'

A day after Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch disparaged Obamacare supporters as the "stupidest, dumbass people" he has ever met for embracing the "stupidest, dumbass bill" he has ever seen, he issued a statement apologizing.

 “Yesterday, I made a poorly worded joke about Obamacare supporters—a joke that was not reflective of my actual feelings towards my friends on the other side. Throughout my term of service, I have always recognized the importance of civility, particularly in engaging with those of different political perspectives. While I occasionally slip up, I believe that my legislative record reflects my commitment to bipartisanship and civility much more than my flippant, off-the-cuff comment," the statement read.

The Utah senator initially made the comments Thursday during his keynote speech on the Trump administration's new tax law at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think-tank in Washington, D.C.

Throughout his speech, he used tongue-in-cheek humor.

"We also finally did away with the individual mandate tax that was established under that wonderful bill called Obamacare. Now if you didn't catch on, I was being very sarcastic," he said Thursday morning.

The repeal of the individual mandate, a part of Obamacare that requires most Americans to have a minimum level of health insurance, was a later addition to the new tax bill. The repeal will kick in next year. He also talked about the ACA as a whole.



Source: abcnews.go

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How was your weekend running?

Can anyone tell me how I can learn to love cross country? Or is it a gene you are born with? Would greater exposure to it (I live in London - aside from the Surrey League fixtures, opportunities are minimal ...) engender affection? At any rate, it’s certainly not my favourite kind of running, though the relief when it’s over almost makes it worthwhile. No, wait, that’s the cake my teammates bring. Saturday saw us in Richmond Park for the final fixture of the season - a wonderful location for it, and complete with classic freezing cross country weather. I suppose at least I warmed up while running, unlike my poor kids who were dragged along and ended up wearing pretty much every discarded coat. And eating a fair amount of the cake. There’s been lots of debate about distance inequality in XC recently - prompted by the campaign/petition Maud Hodson has written about for me here. And it’s a campaign I am thoroughly behind, which anyone who knows my feelings towards XC finds hilarious. Why,...
Read more

The Alaska shipyard where the 'manliest men' meditate each morning

In the dark hours before sunrise, Vigor Alaska’s shipyard bosses circle up their crews. Dwarfed by vast steel segments of a new ferry, welders, painters and electricians twist their bodies. They roll their heads, shoulders and wrists. They ask about each other’s families. They celebrate pregnancies, raises and second chances. They jump. They lunge. They do push-ups and backbends. Seagulls call. Rain drizzles. Then – in jeans and work boots, sweatshirts and hardhats – they meditate. “I thought it was kind of weird,” said Irineo Munoz, 33, who started working for Vigor Alaska as a machinist in 2015. A former gang member from California, Munoz moved to Alaska after his release from prison. As public debate remains intense over gender roles in society and the workplace, Vigor’s morning routine defies gritty, masculine stereotypes associated with industrial labor. Crews meditate, stretch and socialize – on the clock – for a few moments at the start of each workday. Every Wednesday, around l...
Read more

Does cycling really damage men's sexual organs?

Few doubt that cycling helps you get healthy. One study last year found cyclists are less likely to develop heart disease or cancer, and a 2011 review showed it improves fitness and leads to longer lives. But there’s an area of men’s health that has been the subject of a persistent question: does time spent in the saddle lead to problems in the sack? In recent years, scientists have linked cycling with several male health problems, including erectile dysfunction, which they speculate is caused by the saddle decreasing blood flow to the penis. In one study, Norwegian researchers gathered data from 160 men after they took part in a long-distance bike tour. They found that one in five suffered with numbness to the penis that lasted up to a week after the tour, and 13% developed erectile dysfunction that lasted more than a week in most cases. Another study linked cycling to prostate cancer – or at least, that’s how some corners of the media reported it. But the researchers admitted their s...
Read more