Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., lashed out at the Republicans' plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, telling MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday that "We gave 20 million people healthcare for the first time . . . now we're just throwing them off."
Manchin said he had advised President Donald Trump if the plan is passed, he will get the blame for so many people losing their coverage.
Machin explained more than 70 percent of the people who benefitted from the expansion and the subsidies Obamacare provided did not know how they got these services, but he told Trump in a recent meeting, "Let me tell you Mr. President, they're gonna know who took it away from them. They will know if they lose it."
Manchin said when he looked at the GOP plan, he was struck at how bad it would be, especially for the elderly, the poor, and those facing opioid addiction – all of whom are disproportionately prevalent in his home state of West Virginia.
What made those cutbacks particularly annoying, Manchin said, was it comes as a $575 billion tax break given to those who need it least.
Manchin admitted Obamacare could be improved, but said the expanded health coverage had definitely helped, and it would not be wise to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Unlike most Democrats, Manchin has praised Trump and has said the president is open to discussing issues, Politico reported.
The senator said he has a better relationship with Trump than he ever did with former President Barack Obama, stressing he has already talked more with the current president than he did with Obama his entire eight years in office.
Manchin also told The Daily Caller he refuses to be a partisan obstructionist against Trump and has broken party ranks to vote for several of the president's nominees to the Cabinet.
"Whoever my president is I want to do well," Manchin said, adding, "[Although] there are red states, and there are blue states, hopefully we are all still red, white, and blue."
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