SALT LAKE CITY — Comedian Jimmy Kimmel became a nationally trending topic on Twitter Wednesday morning, but not because of his comedy.
During Tuesday night’s broadcast of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” the late night talk show host slammed Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La, over the new healthcare overhaul plan, saying that Cassidy “lied right to my face.”
Kimmel, who entered into the health care news stream in May after he discussed his newborn’s emergency heart surgery, said Cassidy lied about what this new health care bill would cover.
Cassidy, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, introduced a bill into Congress that is yet another attempt by Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
The new bill, which you can read more about here, reduces federal spending on health care and eliminates penalties given to those who don’t have health insurance.
Back in May, Cassidy appeared on Kimmel’s show and said that “he supported access to preventative care regardless of income,” according to Fortune.
Cassidy went even farther, saying the new health care bill needed to pass “the Jimmy Kimmel test,” which would mean it would have to offer “affordable care for such children and include preventative care for every American,” Fortune reported.
But the Cassidy-Graham plan does not offer lifetime coverage, nor does it extend benefits to those with pre-existing conditions, CNN reported.
"He agreed to that," Kimmel said. "He said he would only support a healthcare bill that made sure a child like mine would get the health coverage he needs, no matter how much money his parents make."
Kimmel then said, jokingly, that the bill does pass the “Jimmy Kimmel test” because "your child with a pre-existing condition will get the care he needs if, and only if, his father is Jimmy Kimmel."
Cassidy responded to Kimmel on CNN’s “New Day” program, saying, "I'm sorry he does not understand."
He added, "There are more people who will be covered under this bill than under the status quo. Everybody fears change. Even if it's worse to better, they don't want change."
Cassidy also released a statement that supported the bill, despite the controversy, according to CNN.
"We have a Sept. 30 deadline on our promise (to repeal Obamacare)," Cassidy said in a statement "Let's finish the job. We must, because there is a mother and father whose child will have insurance because of Graham Cassidy Heller Johnson. There is someone whose pre-existing condition will be addressed because of GCHJ."