Repeal and Replace
Genre: Drama/Political
Director: Paul Schrader
Writer: Alex Conn
Cast: Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Raul Esparza, Michael Shannon, Keri Russell, Corey Stoll, Matthew Modine, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, Dominic Sessa
Plot: The film starts with footage of the end of the Mitt Romney campaign and Mitt Romney thanking Paul Ryan (Jon Hamm) and also political leaders like Ted Cruz (Raul Esparza) and Rand Paul (Noah Emmerich) calling for the end of Obamacare and Donald J Trump (Michael Shannon) calling for the repeal and replace of Obamacare. Also Paul Ryan being elected as Speaker Of The House. The last piece of footage is of reactions to and the news of Donald J Trump winning the presidential election in 2016.
Paul Ryan is getting up and his kids wish him a good day at the office. His wife Janna Ryan (Keri Russell) says have a nice day. We see on his bookshelf some books by Ayn Rand and Adam Smith. It’s a big day since it is the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Donald Trump gets inaugurated and Ryan gets taken up to the Oval Office.
Ryan is told by President Trump even though they have had their differences in the past they are committed to work to end Obamacare. The law that has cost countless Americans their healthcare. That is the number 1 goal of the Trump administration. Trump says this is your shot. I believe in you. Paul Ryan promises to not let Trump down.
Ryan is meeting with House Republicans on the repeal of Obamacare. They are all saying their ideas and a big thing which comes from moderate Republicans like keeping protections for pre-existing conditions. That whatever healthcare plan that they offer must cover pre existing conditions.
At the same time there is a rally outside of Washington with Ted Cruz and Rand Paul
The bill is written and Ryan holds a press conference. Paul Ryan is proud to announce the American Health Care Act which is a repeal of Obamacare. Paul Ryan talks about how Republicans have campaigned on repealing Obamacare since it was passed in 2009 and now that the Republican Party is a governing party and not an opposing party we have to give to the American people what we promised.
Ryan talks about how Republicans promised real conservative solutions and now is the chance and this bill is a wish list for Conservatives and Americans across the country.
Paul Ryan goes for a drink and he is asked by the bartender as the Washington DC bar with his face in his hands, “how’s healthcare going”. Paul Ryan says it’s going great. I feel we are going to really deliver for the American people.
Paul Ryan’s chief of staff (Dominic Sessa) introduces him to Senator Ted Cruz who he had met before but hadn’t worked with before. Paul says what’s your dream healthcare bill and Cruz says that the dream is to lower health insurance premiums. Ted Cruz goes on with a story about a waitress he met who said her premiums are through the roof. Paul says that we all want to lower premiums the trick is how the fuck you want to achieve that goal. Ted Cruz believes that the bill is not going to pass the Senate because it’s in controversy in the House. Paul Ryan says he knows that but the question is what to do about it.
Ted Cruz mentions that there are too many regulations in the House bill Ryan asks to name them and he mentions Medicaid and the essential health benefits and it will not pass in the Senate so it begs the question why would it pass the Senate. Paul Ryan says that you know if you destroy Medicaid you lose moderate Republicans like Susan Collins and even John McCain. Ryan mentions Medicaid cuts are something I ran on and care about but this time you have to think about what is going to pass. Cruz says that I am a man of principal and I got elected in the Tea Party movement to make change just to be a cog in the system.
Paul Ryan’s chief of staff Eddie checks on him while Ryan quietly reflects. Eddie tells Ryan that the bill was submitted to the CBO and we will get results on Monday. We hear news in the background talking about how unpopular the bill is. The bill is at 21 percent and many people dislike it more than Obamacare.
It is Monday and Paul Ryan is getting his tie and suit on and he gets into office and he hears the CBO results and they’re bad. 22 million people will be kicked off of healthcare.
Paul Ryan is walking through the houses of Congress and he sees Kevin McCarthy (John Slattery) who’s the House Republican Majority Leader. Kevin asks him if he’s had any progress on the bill with the Freedom Caucus. Paul says not much. I had a meeting with Ted Cruz. and Kevin McCarthy says that we should get those numbers up. Kevin says I’ve dealt with those bastards they won’t give a fucking inch. Kevin McCarthy says focus on the House for now until we can pass the fucking bill in the Senate.
During dinner with his family his son asks him what Obamacare is and he responds you’ll learn about it when you grow up. His son asks again and Paul agrees to explain it. Paul explains Obamacare as a bill that forces you to buy something not all people want. In this case it is health insurance. Paul says it’s stupid that people should be forced to buy something they don’t need or want.
There is a flashback to a 2012 Tea Party protest where he is introduced as the next Vice President. He discusses passionately the daily cost of the Affordable Care Act on working families. Paul Ryan says that we are fighting the elites who want to raise your taxes, kick you off your healthcare that you love. He says long live the Tea Party. He says the Tea Party is responsible for the red wave in 2010. We will have another red wave in the House in 2010. If Romney/Ryan is successful in November it will be because of working men and women who stood up to your government and Mitt Romney and himself will be a big advocate for your ideals.
Back to present day Ryan gets a call that Mike Pence (Matthew Modine), the Vice President wants to meet with him about the healthcare bill. He goes into a meeting room and asks Paul Ryan how the healthcare bill is going and getting the Freedom Caucus. Ryan says it’s been hard but he thinks he’s making progress. Mike Pence says that he should schedule a vote for Friday so it pressures the Freedom Caucus to get jiggy with the bill or else their constituents will crucify them for voting against something that they all ran on. The whole Tea Party movement is built on being against Obamacare. If they vote against the bill that most aligns with their goals they’ll be crucified by their voter base who voted for them based on this issue.
It is announced via a mass email on Friday there will be a vote on the American Health Care Act. The next day Senator Ted Cruz is in Paul Ryan’s office. Ted Cruz says that the bill is doomed to failure in the Senate why is there a scheduled vote this week on a bill that needs to be amended?
Paul Ryan jokes with his chief of staff that he needs a fucking restraining order from Cruz. His chief of staff laughs.
It is that Sunday and Ryan and his family are going to their Catholic Church. The priest Father Williams delivers a sermon about healthcare for the poor and the downtrodden. Without mentioning the specific bill he says he hopes the members of Congress will look out for the poor and middle class of this great country. Paul Ryan looks angry.
He is angry and takes it out on his wife Janna Ryan. He says he no longer wants to attend church with that socialist Father Williams. He says Father Williams teaches the Communist Manifesto not the word of our lord Jesus Christ.
It is Thursday. On television Jim Jordan (Corey Stoll) goes on TV and talks about how this bill is basically just Obamacare lite. Donald Trump calls Paul Ryan into the White House.
Trump and Pence are both in the room. Pence asks, is this bill passable? Ryan says yes and he says tomorrow we will pass it and Trump will make a big speech in the Rose Garden and Ryan will be happy to stand beside him.
Ryan is in his office late at night getting emails from various House members saying that they are not going to vote for Obamacare lite and on the other side that they are not going to vote for a bill that kicks thousands off their healthcare. Ryan flips over a chair yelling fuck.
He begrudgingly cancels the vote on Friday. Donald J Trump The next day he holds a press conference saying that sadly the Republican conference couldn’t do what we said to voters would do which was repeal and replace Obamacare.
He is in his bed crying. There is a montage of Paul Ryan going to work feeling like a failure. Two months later Trump calls and he says he worked out a deal with the Freedom Caucus guys and they’re willing to vote on it.
Ryan reads the fine print of the newly amended bill and has a meeting with Jim Jordan where both parties agree to support the bill. Ryan tells Jordan to get the Freedom Caucus all to vote yes on the legislation.
Ryan schedules a vote on Tuesday and they actually pass the American Health Care Act. Trump does a speech in the rose garden congratulating all the members of Congress and especially congratulating Paul Ryan for shoving this through. People said Paul Ryan is a clown but now people say Paul Ryan is a genius. Paul Ryan makes a speech saying that while this was his passion project he couldn’t have done it without the great President Trump.
There is a party after and everybody is thanking Paul Ryan and Ryan talks to Trump and Trump congratulates Ryan. Trump says rest easy but not too easy. I’ll try my best to get these fuckers in line. But I do believe that is a combination of both me and you that passed the bill in the house.
Two weeks later he gets an email from Trump saying they need his help. Cruz and Mike Lee and Rand Paul are not voting the right way and Cory Gardner wants some medical marijuana provisions.
Ryan dreads doing this but he talks to Ted Cruz and Mike Lee and they both congratulate Ryan on passing the bill in the House but the Senate version needs some serious work before we are fully on board. Ryan asks what changes they would like to make.
Cruz puts the idea of the Consumer Freedom Amendment basically that we are not taking away anything just giving consumers more choices. Ryan says tell me what it actually is not the bullshit advertisement.
Lee says the proposal is if mandating that health insurance companies cover at least one plan that has the Obamacare bells and whistles but if a young person wants to buy a catastrophic plan then they can. Ryan brings up the idea that that might not pass the Senate.
Cruz says that he can rally up the conservative base of the party. Ryan says I have no doubt you can but can you get moderates. In the Senate we need moderates like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
Paul Ryan comes out of that meeting and gets calls and texts by Trump, Jim Jordan and Rand Paul talking about the Consumer Freedom Amendment which is Ted Cruz’s idea he just pitched.
Ted Cruz goes on all the talk shows talking about how great this proposal is. Mitch McConnell says that we can have a vote in a week.
Paul Ryan watches the vote on CSPAN and it goes down in flames with John McCain’s vote no.
Paul runs over to the church where he talks to Father Williams. Paul breaks down in tears. He said my legacy is gone and my reputation is gone. The issue I fought for years and years on which was repealing Obamacare. He says I know you’re not a supporter. Father Williams says that your legacy is not just about what you do professionally but about how you are with your family and friends. Father Williams say he senses intense stress from Ryan and he suggests Ryan leave Congress. It’s been stressful. Paul says I can’t do it. Williams says what about at the end of your term.
The next day Trump calls Ryan into his office. Trump says through executive orders I will try to end some of the damage that is Obamacare. But Trump says I need you to focus on the next piece of my agenda tax reform. Ryan says yes sir.
One year later Paul Ryan announces at the end of his term he will be retiring from politics to spend more time with his family. He says it’s lonely spending your days away from your family and your nights consistently thinking about work. The press asks questions but Ryan leaves the podium.
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