July 21, 2017 10:44 AM UTC

Cory Gardner Outdoes Himself

• 3 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: In a separate story in the Denver Post, John Ingold reports that any Senate decision to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan would virtually destroy the healthcare market in Colorado:

The repeal, as proposed in the Senate, would end in 2020 the tax credits that help many people in the individual market pay for their premiums. Also that year, it would end the extra subsidies that help low-income people pay for deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.

But insurers, knowing that major changes are coming to the individual market, could begin pulling back this year — or asking to charge even higher rates.

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We’re not breaking any news when we say that Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) has been consistently full of shit when it comes to talking about Senate GOP efforts to create the worst-possible healthcare legislation imaginable. Local media outlets have increasingly figured out Gardner’s game on discussing healthcare — which is to pretend that he doesn’t know anything about anything when he gets a tough question — but Gardner is always ready to ratchet up the nonsense to another level.

Gardner spoke to Mark Matthews for a story in the Denver Post, and, well…let’s just say that you should stretch out your eyeballs so you don’t pull a muscle:

Since being named this spring to a 13-member Republican group assigned to tackle the issue, Gardner hasn’t spoken substantially about dueling plans to dismantle the Affordable Care Act — not once revealing whether he would support any of the draft versions circulating on Capitol Hill…

…Gardner, for his part, said he remains undecided on both proposals, though he voiced a preference for legislation that did more than simply unwind the 2010 health care law. [Pols emphasis]

“I would prefer a solution that would be a replacement for the failing Affordable Care Act,” Gardner said.

He would not say, however, whether he would vote for a straight repeal bill — even if it were a carbon copy of the 2015 legislation that he backed while President Barack Obama was in office with the power to veto it. [Pols emphasis]

“I don’t think I’m going to speculate on that, because I don’t know that’s what would come up and I don’t want to say that I’m going to vote for this, that or the other before I see it and before I know what’s in it,” Gardner said.

Okay, get ready to roll those eyes. Here it comes…

But he echoed other Republican leader in arguing the Senate should vote no matter what, even in the face of likely defeat.

“I don’t see why anybody should be concerned about fighting for legislation that they believe will do better than what we have,” Gardner said. [Pols emphasis]

You read that correctly, folks! Cory Gardner says he doesn’t understand why anyone would be afraid to stand up for what they believe is right…just after he refuses to tell the Denver Post anything about what he believes should be done on healthcare legislation.

We don’t even know what else to say here.