--- title: Obamacare Repeal Effort Gets Second Wind in Congress description: The GOP has renewed its efforts to dismantle the former president's healthcare plan. canonical: https://time.com/4946600/obamacare-repeal-graham-cassidy/ author: Nash Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-19T15:44:52.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T03:33:57.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Here's How the Latest Attempt to Repeal Obamacare Would Work og:description: The Senate has until the end of the month to pass the controversial Graham-Cassidy act og:url: https://time.com/4946600/obamacare-repeal-graham-cassidy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt46cfe8df6c7a8b0c/6988de5186f68e4b386e6788/gettyimages-846515642.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Republican Senators Bill Cassidy And Lindsey Graham Unveil Revised Version Of Their Obamacare Replacement og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's How the Latest Attempt to Repeal Obamacare Would Work twitter:description: The Senate has until the end of the month to pass the controversial Graham-Cassidy act twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt46cfe8df6c7a8b0c/6988de5186f68e4b386e6788/gettyimages-846515642.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:17 video:published: 2017-09-11 section: politics topics: Donald Trump, genetics, good genes, success, deal making, intelligence, athletic ability, heredity, scientific evidence, Michael Phelps genre: news analysis, explainer tones: critical, analytical, skeptical, informative emotions: skepticism (medium), amusement (low), curiosity (low) sentiment: negative audience: general news viewers, political news followers, science-interested viewers, social media viewers people: Donald Trump, John Trump, Michael Phelps organizations: MIT transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Here's How the Latest Attempt to Repeal Obamacare Would Work > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7e6facd5-f01a-4813-89c9-2547bb1a1153&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Donald Trump Believes That His Genes Are the Secret to His Success [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump Believes That His Genes Are the Secret to His Success](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/C3OQtgZb.m3u8) (2:17)  _Published 2017-09-11. Donald Trump Believes That His Genes Are the Secret to His Success_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The video examines how Donald Trump has repeatedly credited his genes for various aspects of his life, including his health, intelligence, drive and success. It presents clips of him saying he is a believer in genes, that his uncle was a professor at MIT, and that his children and grandchildren inherited good genes. It notes that he has occasionally hinted some people may not be cut out for success because of their DNA. The video closes by stating that scientists who study genes would not agree with his beliefs and that there is little evidence complex skills like deal making are rooted in genetics. ## Key points - Trump says people must be born lucky with the right genes to succeed, and in his business that means making deals. (00:06) - Trump has credited his genes for his success so frequently that the video says it is more than a rhetorical tic. (00:20) - Trump has attributed his health, intelligence, drive and success to his genes, citing his uncle, an MIT professor, as an example of good genes. (00:32) - Trump has said his children and grandchildren inherited good genes and will succeed as a result. (01:08) - Trump's advisors have also joined in praising his genes, including a remark about his diet and exercise. (01:14) - Trump's comments to an Irish pro golfer indicate he sees athletic ability as genetic too. (01:28) - Trump talks more about good genes than bad ones but has occasionally hinted some people may not be cut out for success because of their DNA. (01:37) - Scientists say that while long limbs may have helped Michael Phelps, there is little evidence complex skills like deal making are rooted in genetics. (01:51) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:20] Trump says success requires good genes. Trump says it is possible for many to be successful but that one must be born lucky with the right genes, and the video notes scientists would not endorse this. - [00:20 to 01:08] Genes credited for health, smarts, drive. The video shows Trump crediting genes for his health, intelligence, drive and success, and calling himself a gene believer. - [01:08 to 01:37] Family, advisors and athletic ability. Trump says his children and grandchildren inherited good genes, his advisors echo the idea, and he applies it to athletic ability. - [01:37 to 02:17] Scientists dispute Trump's genetic claims. The video notes Trump's hints about bad genes, scientists' disagreement, and Trump repeating his MIT uncle story. ## Key quotes - [00:09] Donald Trump: "have to be born lucky in the sense that you have to have the right genes" - [01:06] Donald Trump: "I have a certain gene. I am a gene believer." - [00:46] Donald Trump: "Good genes, very good genes." - [02:09] Donald Trump: "This Donald Trump, an intellectual, trust me, I'm like a smart person." ## Questions this video answers - Does Donald Trump think everyone can achieve what he has achieved? [00:00] - What traits and outcomes has Trump credited to his genes? [00:32] - Who is the relative Trump cites as evidence of good genes? [00:42] - Does Trump think his children and grandchildren inherited good genes? [01:08] - Do scientists agree with Trump's views on genes and success? [01:51] - Is there evidence that deal making is rooted in genetics? [01:56] by [Nash Jenkins](https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:33 AM UTCPublished: Sep 19, 2017 3:44 PM UTC Donald Trump Believes That His Genes Are the Secret to His Success by [Nash Jenkins](https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:33 AM UTCPublished: Sep 19, 2017 3:44 PM UTC The latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act is getting a second wind as it approaches its final deadline. With less than two weeks before a budgetary deadline that would allow the bill to pass with a simple majority, the so-called Graham-Cassidy bill is within a handful of votes from passing. Named for its sponsors: Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the bill would devolve the current system and let red and blue states go their own way on health care, while cutting federal support over time. It’s a sweeping proposal. Right now, the federal government pays about $110 billion each year to fund healthcare. This funding goes chiefly to Medicaid expansion, an Obamacare linchpin that [32 states](http://www.kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-around-expanding-medicaid-under-the-affordable-care-act/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D) have signed up for, and federal subsidies that ease the burden of healthcare costs for lower-income Americans. Under Graham-Cassidy, these programs would be done away with. In their place, Graham-Cassidy would introduce a “block grant” system, which would divvy up healthcare funding among the 50 states for them to spend on their own healthcare systems. “If you like Obamacare, you can keep it,” Graham has [said](https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/politics/cassidy-graham-explainer/?utm%5Fterm=.6728cb872c32) of the plan. “If you want to replace it, you can.” There would be no more federal mandates for health insurance, for either individuals or employers, though states would have the power to impose them. But the block grant system would be temporary — the bill has it set to expire by 2027 — creating a cliff of sorts that could create a crisis for individual states a decade from now, even though the bill’s proponents emphasize Graham-Cassidy as a triumph of “state’s rights.” Critics of the bill say that the elimination of Medicaid expansion and subsidies could potentially leave tens of millions of Americans uninsured, according to a [report](https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/cassidy-graham-plans-damaging-cuts-to-health-care-funding-would-grow-dramatically-in) by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Larger, generally more liberal states like California and New York will be the hardest hit, since they’ve invested the most in programs offered by Obamacare; an annual parcel of funding from the government might not be enough to compensate. Graham-Cassidy would also eradicate the Obamacare mandates for health insurance. Individuals will no longer be required to have health insurance, and employers would no longer be required to provide it to their employees. The bill would eliminate the financial penalty imposed on those that don’t oblige. As with this summer’s failed repeal bill, Graham-Cassidy would also freeze Medicaid funding of Planned Parenthood for one year. **Correction**: The original version of this story misstated the position of Bill Cassidy. He is a Republican Senator from Louisiana, not a Representative. ## Transcript [00:00] Is it possible for everybody to be what you've become. [00:03] No, it's not but it's possible for a lot of people to [00:06] become successful and even very successful. YOu have [00:09] to be born lucky in the sense that you have to have the [00:12] right genes to go out and if it's in my business if it's [00:14] making deals. Donald Trump says he's got good [00:17] genes, but scientists wouldn't endorse his views. One, [00:20] two, three. Over the years, Trump has credited his [00:24] genes for his success in life so frequently, that it's clear [00:27] this is more than just a rhetorical tick. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:32] Trump has said he's healthy because of his genes. [00:35] Genetically, I mean I think you're probably a believer in [00:37] that And a lot of people say that's sort of the most [00:40] important thing. He said that he's smart because of his [00:42] genes. My uncle was a great professor and scientist [00:46] and engineer, Dr. John Trump at MIT. Good [00:50] genes, very good genes. Okay. He said that he's driven [00:53] because of his genes. I had a good gene [ UNKNOWN ] [00:57] from the standpoint of that So I was pretty much [01:00] driven. And he said that he was successful because of [01:03] his genes. I think I was born with a drive for success. I [01:06] had a father who was successful. I have a certain gene. [01:08] I am a gene believer. He also said that his children and [01:12] grandchildren have inherited these good genes and [01:14] will succeed as well as a result. Trump's advisors have [01:17] even gotten in on the action. So given his diet and [01:20] exercise, how does he pull that off? [ LAUGH ] [01:24] He's got perfect jeans. [ MUSIC ] Must. [01:28] He does. And it's not just the Trump family jeans he [01:31] thinks about. Trump's comments to an Irish pro- golfer [01:34] indicate that he'd use athletic ability as being genetic [01:37] as well. Trump talks more about good genes than [01:41] bad ones, but he has occasionally hinted that he thinks [01:44] some people may not be cut out for success because [01:47] of their DNA. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Scientists [01:51] who study genes would not agree with Trump's beliefs, [01:53] however. Ever, while long limbs may have helped to [01:56] make Michael Phelps a champion swimmer, there's [01:58] little evidence that complex skills like deal making are [02:00] rooted in genetics. But that's not going to stop Trump [02:03] from talking about them. I said I had an uncle who is a [02:05] great professor at MIT for 35 years. This Donald [02:09] Trump, an intellectual, trust me, I'm like a smart [02:12] person. 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