As the House GOP rammed the toxic American Health Care Act down our throats by the barest of measures, I couldn’t stop thinking of the millions of people whose lives will be devastated and the unvarnished cruelty it takes to snatch life-saving services from those who will die without them.

Not that the GOP has hid its disdain for poor people or those who rely on Obamacare.

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) said the poor should pay more for healthcare to cut the cost for those “who lead good lives” and have “done things to keep their bodies healthy.”

Not to be outdone, Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) suggested those with pre-existing conditions can move if they don’t like the health services that their state offers. “People can go to the state they want to live in,” he said. “States have all kinds of different policies and there are disparities among states for many things: driving restrictions, alcohol, whatever.”

And of course, there’s this comedy classic from Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), “Maybe rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and they want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care.”

What all three statements show is a basic lack of decency and compassion for their fellow human beings. Chaffetz, who had bone spur surgery earlier this week, literally hobbled in from recovery so that he could vote to take away health care.

Even this was less hypocritical than House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) who told a lie so bold-faced that it broke the Poltifact Truth-O-Meter when he said, “People will be better off under pre-existing conditions with our plan.”

Ryan, of course, is also the one who has kvetched for years about how Obamacare and how he doesn’t believe bills should be passed without knowing the cost. Which is exactly what they did today, when they voted for this travesty without a CBO score.

The fact is 24 million people (possibly more) will lose health care in the next decade, states will be able to opt out of essential health benefits, older people will be charged more, and those with preexisting conditions will receive fewer benefits and it will cost more.

But what’s all that mean when you’ve got a win, am I right? And for Mango Mussolini that’s all this was ever really about, telegraphing the optics of himself as a winner, which we all know is more important to himself than anything in the universe.

Never has an American president crowed so much about such a terrible bill and one that is only a third of the way to goal line. But that didn’t stop Trump and the House GOP from cracking open Bud Lights on the White House lawn after the vote to toast the death of something that they have long despised — the concept of affordable health care for all Americans.

Now the health care hot potato passes to the Senate where pundits seem to think the bill that they produce will be more moderate. If you are expecting that I also have swamp land in Florida, or better yet health care from the new ACHA bill that you might like to buy.

Call your local representative and give them an earful for the way they voted, then call your senator and prepare to fight. We’re now entering round two of the battle.