'Let me finish!' Republican hits back as CNN host applies pressure on Medicaid
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) acted surprised at CNN host Pamela Brown's follow-up question about a Congressional Budget Office prediction during a discussion about possible Medicaid cuts in Donald Trump's "one big beautiful bill."
Brown began, "10.9 million people, according to the CBO, could lose their health care over the next 10 years if this bill passes. Now, I know you have taken issue in the past about how CBO scores, so I want to get ahead of you on that one."
Scott laughed, saying, "Yes, ma'am! I hear you, Pamela. You're good!"
Brown then asked Scott to "say for certain" if anyone in his home state of South Carolina would lose their health insurance if the bill passes.
"The one thing we know with great certainty is that the CBO has been wrong on tax cuts, and they consistently have been wrong, whether it's in 2017 or, frankly, the 1930s or the 1960s with the Kennedy tax cuts or the 1980s with the Reagan tax —"
Brown interrupted, "I know. I said you would take issue with CBO. But, can you say for certain no one will lose their health insurance?"
"Pamela, let me finish my thought here," Scott said. "This is such an important point. When CBO estimates that something is going to happen...you just can't look at those numbers at face value and say they're going to happen. What we understand without question is when President Trump says he's going to protect Americans on Medicaid, we're going to protect Americans on Medicaid."
He continued, "At home in South Carolina, we believe if you can work, you should work. That's doing the right thing. There is a question about illegal immigration. I believe illegal immigrants should not be in America, therefore they should not be eligible for Medicaid."
Brown stated that undocumented migrants are not eligible for federal Medicaid as a matter of law, but Scott maintained that "millions" have managed to take advantage of the entitlement.