One of the Republican party's defining positions is advocating for the restriction of healthcare access for working class people. The party has repeatedly demonstrated this with its fervent opposition to the Affordable Care Act, known colloquially as "Obamacare," and right-wing lawmakers' attempts to repeal it. Republican Governors across a vast array of states repeatedly refuse to accept Medicare expansion.
This opposition to accessible healthcare has grown increasingly emphatic as more and more Democrats embrace policies like Medicare for All and a public healthcare option.
But on Friday, far-right Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York celebrated the anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, but the tweet was panned for a dizzying contradiction.
Today\u2019s Anniversary of Medicare & Medicaid reminds us to reflect on the critical role these programs have played to protect the healthcare of millions of families. To safeguard our future, we must reject Socialist healthcare schemes.https://twitter.com/poststar/status/1421073894480486400\u00a0\u2026— Elise Stefanik (@Elise Stefanik) 1627655199
In the same tweet, Stefanik heaped praise upon Medicare and Medicaid, while condemning "Socialist healthcare schemes."
These so-called schemes presumably include the expansion of Medicare to all Americans—a position Stefanik has repeatedly decried, especially when smearing her 2020 opponent, Tedra Cobb's, position on the initiative.
But Medicare and Medicaid are Democratic Socialist policies. Its passage in 1965—the very event Stefanik was celebrating—was slammed by Republicans at the time as "socialized medicine."
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a staunch advocate for Medicare for All, mocked Stefanik on Twitter.
Totally agree.\n\nIn fact, to further protect Medicare from socialism, let\u2019s strengthen it to include dental, vision, hearing, & mental healthcare and then allow all Americans to enjoy its benefits.\n\nTrust me, Medicare for All is the #1 thing you can do to own the socialists.https://twitter.com/elisestefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1627660840
People were amazed at Stefanik's glib contradiction.
This is not a parody.https://twitter.com/elisestefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Judd Legum (@Judd Legum) 1627659055
This tweet belongs in the Museam of GOP hypocrisyhttps://twitter.com/elisestefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Molly Jong-Fast (@Molly Jong-Fast) 1627663494
Where the new GOP Conference Chair succinctly argues that GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE is CRITICAL to protecting families and NOT AT ALL SOCIALIST, but making more people eligible for that protection would result in a socialist hellscape. \n\nWHAT?!? \u2014>https://twitter.com/elisestefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Jonathan Allen (@Jonathan Allen) 1627660651
"We must protect government run healthcare by rejecting government run healthcare."\n\nBeyond parody.https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@Qasim Rashid, Esq.) 1627663842
who do you think, uhh, funds Medicare and Medicaid?https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Public Citizen (@Public Citizen) 1627659731
Incredible. When I first saw screencaps of this circulating I thought it had to be parody, there was no way this was actually a thing a U.S. politician said for real.https://twitter.com/elisestefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Matthew Chapman (@Matthew Chapman) 1627663426
People were divided on whether Stefanik was ignorant or being deliberately deceptive.
She\u2019s not stupid, she graduated from Harvard. She is just a manipulative, power-hungry, asshat.https://twitter.com/elisestefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Jennifer Taub (@Jennifer Taub) 1627664861
New rule: Individuals this breathtakingly stupid must not be allowed to hold public office.https://twitter.com/elisestefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Feodor Chin \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u2744\ufe0f (@Feodor Chin \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u2744\ufe0f) 1627665119
The worst part about this self-contradictory, cognitive dissonance whiplash-inducing self-own of a tweet is that Elise Stefanik knows better than this. She just thinks her base is stupid.https://twitter.com/elisestefanik/status/1421115026300186634\u00a0\u2026— Ahmed Baba (@Ahmed Baba) 1627658495
Stefanik hasn't elaborated on the mind-numbing statement.
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