Jimmy Kimmel reacts to Graham-Cassidy health care bill's possible failure
— -- Jimmy Kimmel returned to the topic of health care reform during his monologue Monday night.
He said hundreds of people have shared with him their stories about how the Affordable Care Act saved their life, a family member's life or benefited them.
"I saw pictures of children who are not well, people got teared up, quite a few of these people told me they're Republicans — Republican people, not politicians, there's a very big difference," Kimmel said.
He drew a contrast between the stories he heard and continual proclamations by President Donald Trump that "Obamacare is a disaster."
"Did anyone have to convince you Hurricane Harvey was a disaster? No, because it was a disaster," Kimmel said. "[If] someone has to keep telling you something is a disaster, it probably isn't one."
Kimmel again praised Sen. John McCain, who came out against the current Republican health care reform bill despite the fact that it was co-sponsored by one of McCain's close friends in the Senate, South Carolina's Lindsey Graham.
"You know how many times I've pretended to like something just 'cause one of my friends wrote it? A million, all right?" Kimmel joked.
In addition to McCain, Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced Monday that she will vote "no" on the Graham-Cassidy health care bill, becoming the third Republican to do so.
"Which means, the bill is almost certainly dead," Kimmel said about Collins' decision to vote against the bill. "That's great news ... the best news in now I can go back to talking about the Kardashians."
Kimmel added that no mater what his critics say, the facts are on his side.
"I've been fact-checked by — against Bill Cassidy — by at least six different organizations," Kimmel said. "Every one of them came down on my side. Every major health organization in the United States is on my side ... It has nothing to do with me, it's just a matter of what's true and what isn't true."
Kimmel's war of words with Republican lawmakers over health care began in April when he spoke out against Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare after his newborn son required heart surgery.
The clash escalated last week as Kimmel took on Cassidy, a co-sponsor of the current GOP health care bill, who in May appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and said that any health care measure he supported would have to meet a "Jimmy Kimmel test" to assure adequate coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and do away will lifetime caps on health coverage.
Kimmel said the Graham-Cassidy bill fails that test.
