Why Is Jimmy Kimmel In The Healthcare Debate?

September 21, 2017

  •  As the healthcare debate flares up in Congress again, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has been thrust into the middle of the debate. Jimmy Kimmel has been devoting a lot of his nightly monologue to the healthcare debate. Kimmel also had something to say after being told to shut up by Fox & Friends.

  • Source: www.youtube.com / Via: www.youtube.com

  •  It’s an unlikely shift for Kimmel, who is fairly non-political in his show. Other late night hosts like Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers have been seeing bigger ratings because of their more politically-focused monologues.  Kimmel, however, has tried to keep the comedy fair and balanced wink. In an interview during the 2012 election, Kimmel told Salon “I do say whatever I want. I just try to keep in mind that mine is not a political show and that our audience is split half and half, and people are very emotional about this stuff. And I just try and spread the ribbing around.” So, how did Jimmy Kimmel get into the middle of this healthcare debate? In May, Kimmel’s son William was born with a congenital heart defect. In an emotional monologue, Kimmel recounted the story of his son William’s birth and the immediate open-heart surgery required. Before the Affordable Care Act, William’s heart condition would have also been considered a “pre-existing condition.” Insurance companies used to be able to deny healthcare to people because they needed healthcare throughout their lives. For a baby born with William’s condition, health insurance coverage could mean the difference between life and death. “If you’re baby is going to die, and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make. I think whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, we all agree on that. We do.” After Kimmel’s emotional speech, the Obamacare repeal bill moved from the House to the Senate. Senator Bill Cassidy invoked Kimmel’s name on cable news to describe his opposition to the new healthcare bill. The push to repeal Obamacare was thought to be over in July. John McCain’s last-minute “No” vote killed the so-called “skinny repeal,” and the fight to defend Obamacare was thought to be over. Republicans had been trying to repeal Obamacare ever since it was signed in 2010.  But now according to Gallup, the ACA has reached a majority approval rating for the first time back in April, with a rating of 54% That’s a full 20 percent higher than Trump’s approval rating, and way more popular than Congress, with their abysmal 16% approval. It don’t get it! Congress seems like they are full of cool dudes! But now, there is a new healthcare bill in the senate, and one of the authors is Bill Cassidy. And guess what else is in the bill… The return of pre-existing conditions! Naturally, Kimmel lashed out at Cassidy for his dishonesty The Graham-Cassidy bill is by all accounts worse than the last Republican health care bill. The bill also fails to meet the requirements that Cassidy, himself a medical professional, claimed he wanted to vote for. Graham-Cassidy would allow for insurance companies to remove or reject customers, increase rates for pre-existing conditions, and impose caps on how much insurance will pay out over your life. All of this has cast Kimmel as an unlikely voice in the healthcare debate. What do you think of Jimmy Kimmel’s unlikely move into political comedy? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.