Jimmy Kimmel on health care critics: 'Am I supposed to just be quiet?'
— -- Jimmy Kimmel's war of words with Republican leaders over the party's latest proposed health care legislation continued Thursday night.
"A lot of people have been saying that I'm not qualified to talk about this," Kimmel said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
"And that is true, I'm not qualified to talk about this, but I think those people forget -- Bill Cassidy named this test after me. Am I supposed to just be quiet about that?" he said.
Kimmel was referring to Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, cosponsor of the current GOP health care bill, who in May after Kimmel gave an emotional opening monologue about his newborn son's heart defect, said any health care measure he supported would have to meet a "Jimmy Kimmel test" to assure adequate coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Kimmel says the new Graham-Cassidy bill fails that test.
The host on Thursday fired back at Louisiana's other senator, Republican John Kennedy, for questioning Kimmel's qualifications. "I'm not pretending to be an expert," Kimmel said, "I'm asking why people like you aren't listening to actual experts like the American Medical Association."
He also took aim at President Donald Trump, who tweeted about the proposed legislation on Thursday, calling it "a great bill" that would "Repeal & Replace" Obamacare. Trump also tweeted support of Cassidy, saying he is "a class act who really cares about people and their Health(care)."
The TV host said Trump is uninformed and would sign any bill that replaces Obamacare just to get the former president's name off the health care law.
About Republicans questioning his qualifications, Kimmel said, "I feel like it's my duty to remind these people ... the guy you voted for for president, his job qualification was ... he fired Meat Loaf on television."
