Spicer On AARP Concerns: We’re Not Trying To Accommodate ‘Special Interests’

White House Press secretary Sean Spicer speaks to the media during the daily briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Wednesday brushed off the AARP’s forceful opposition to the House GOP’s Obamacare replacement plan, dismissing the group that represents millions of seniors as a “special interest.”

When asked about the group’s opposition to the GOP health care plan, Spicer noted its support for an Obamacare provision regarding prescription drugs.

“I think the AARP got a really good deal last time when it came to prescription drugs, in particular,” Spicer said in the daily briefing. “I think this is a patient-centric bill. It’s about patients, it’s about people, it’s about the Americans who are left behind. Look at what those deals got people last time. For all those people who are on Medicaid in particular, they don’t have choices anymore.”

Spicer accused Democrats of using “one deal after another” to “buy votes” to pass Obamacare.

“So if you want to line up how many special interests got paid off last time versus now, they’ll probably win hands down,” he said. “This isn’t about trying to figure out how many special interests in Washington we can get paid off. It’s about making sure that patients get the best deal that lowers prices.”

Asked specifically about the AARP’s concerns that the bill could significantly raise premiums for older Americans, Spicer argued that Republicans “want you to get more choice and a lower cost.”

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