"You're fired": GOP rep calls for McConnell to quit after health care fail

The collapse of repeal is the culmination of a 7-year-long odyssey for Republicans, in which they tried everything to undo the legislation, even challenging its constitutionality in the Supreme Court — twice — only to lose time and time again.

Brooks, who is running for Alabama’s Senate seat, currently held by Sen. Luther Strange, told CNN that “the leadership at the top is responsible” for the repeal effort’s failure. He noted, “The buck stops there, that’s why you take on that kind of responsibility.”

Referring to McConnell, Brooks said, “He’s got a job to do, and if he can’t do it, then as ‘The Apprentice’ would say, ‘You’re fired!’ Get somebody who can.”

Despite McConnell’s conservative voting record, Brooks argued that Republicans should let “somebody new, somebody bold, somebody conservative take the reins,” perhaps referring to himself. Even if he wins his race, it would be unusual, unlikely, and unprecedented for a freshman senator to instantly lead his party. But perhaps this bitter defeat will make Republicans desperate enough to take a chance on Brooks.

GOP Rep. Mo Brooks: Mitch McConnell has “got to go”. https://t.co/AIwAIc9B1q

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 28, 2017

CUOMO: Give us the state of play. What happens now? Do you believe there is a chance for what the American people say they always want most, which is to get the left and the right working together for them?

BROOKS: Well, let’s be clear about what’s happened over the last 24 hours in the United States Senate. It was an abject failure of the United States Senate to do what America needs doing. It was a failure from the newest member, Luther Strange at the bottom, to the very top, with Mitch McConnell as majority leader. And I hope that the Senate will not quit. I hope and urge the Senate to stay in Washington, D.C., until the job gets done. […]  So I hope they won’t quit. And if they’re going to quit, well then, by golly, maybe they ought to start at the top, with Mitch McConnell leaving his position and letting somebody new, somebody bold, somebody conservative take the reins, so that they can come up with a plan to get through the United States Senate and serve the needs of the American people.

The repeal movement is one of the signature issues Donald Trump ran on, and its failure highlights the lack of any major legislative accomplishment since he became president. Brooks said this reflected badly on McConnell as well, asking, “If Mitch McConnell cannot get the job done on this, how is he going to get the job done on the rest of President Trump’s agenda over the next three-and-a-half years? This is a killer.”

Trump didn’t get anything done legislatively in his first 100 days or 6 months of his presidency, and a bullet has been dodged on that front. But now the Republican knives are out for each other, and Mitch McConnell is on notice.