Editor,

When the Medicare bill was passed in 1965, only 70 of the 140 Republicans in the House and only 13 of the 32 Republicans in the Senate voted for it. Before and after Medicare was passed, Republicans denounced it.

In 1961, Ronald Reagan said, “If you don’t (stop the Medicare bill) and I don’t do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”

In 1964, George H.W. Bush called Medicare “socialized medicine.”

In 1964, Barry Goldwater said, “Having given our pensioners their medical care in kind, why not food baskets, why not public housing accommodations, why not vacation resorts, why not a ration of cigarettes for those who smoke and of beer for those who drink.”

As late as 1996, while campaigning for president, Bob Dole said, “I was there, fighting the fight, voting against Medicare … because we knew it wouldn’t work in 1965.”

Flash forward to 2017, as Republicans attempt to repeal Obamacare.

Edward A. Drum wrote in his June 20 letter to the editor that U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen “claims 23 million Americans will lose Obama health insurance with ‘Trump-care,’” a claim Dr. Drum calls “inaccurate, as 50 percent of those insured are not legal Americans.”

Fifty percent of 23 million is 11.5 million. In 2016 there were only 11.3 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. Does Dr. Drum seriously expect us to believe that all illegal immigrants have health insurance?

He wrote that “MSAs were banned by Obama.” Actually, Obamacare permits MSAs.

How many people do Republicans think they can fool how much of the time?

A few days ago, a reporter asked a Republican Senate aide why details of the Obamacare repeal bill were being kept secret. The aide said, “We’re not stupid.”

Ann Adams

Oak Harbor