The vice-president of the United States has some less-than-complimentary words for Canada香蕉视频直播檚 health-care system, which he accuses of certain 香蕉视频直播渇ailings.香蕉视频直播�

Mike Pence made the remarks in an interview last week with Alaska radio station KFQD.

He was being asked about the Republican health legislation struggling to get through Congress.

Republicans appear to be wrestling to get a bill that would repeal Obamacare through the legislature before a procedural deadline later this month 香蕉视频直播� and the effort is in deep trouble.

Pence warned that if the legislative effort collapses, the U.S. will be on a course for something similar to Canada.

That香蕉视频直播檚 because the Democratic party is starting to rally to an unprecedented degree around the idea of single-payer health care as a long-term solution to the U.S.香蕉视频直播檚 endless health debates.

香蕉视频直播淲e have a clear choice here,香蕉视频直播� Pence said.

香蕉视频直播淵ou know, somewhere in between where I香蕉视频直播檓 sitting in Washington, D.C., and (you) Alaska, is a place called Canada. I probably don香蕉视频直播檛 need to tell the people Alaska about the failings of national socialized health care because it香蕉视频直播檚 right in our neighbour and you see the results every day.

香蕉视频直播淟ook, we香蕉视频直播檝e got a choice: It香蕉视频直播檚 between big government, Washington, D.C., solutions that ultimately, I believe, will collapse into single-payer health care 香蕉视频直播� or whether or not we香蕉视频直播檙e going to repeal the (Obamacare) individual mandate.香蕉视频直播�

Canada香蕉视频直播檚 health system is known to suffer from long wait times, especially for elective procedures. On the other hand, Canadians not only have longer life expectancies, but also spend far less on health care than Americans according to World Bank data.

The Trump administration has just received a fresh round of bad news about its health-reform effort: After John McCain, Susan Collins became the latest senator Monday to say she opposes the Obamacare repeal bill, almost certainly dooming it.

The congressional budget office attempted to assess the bill, and released a preliminary report Monday. It said the legislation would end health coverage for millions, but reduce federal spending by more than US$133 billion over a decade.

But the non-partisan watchdog said it needed more time to properly analyze the bill 香蕉视频直播� time it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have, because of the Republican rush to get a bill passed.

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Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press