Biden Blasts Healthcare Bill: 'It's a Wealth Transfer'

Former Vice President Joe Biden tweeted his criticism of Senate Republicans' healthcare bill Friday, saying it is more about "wealth transfer" than providing healthcare coverage.

Biden posted a series of tweets that made it clear he opposes the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the Senate's version of the American Health Care Act that passed in the House last month.

The Senate health bill isn't about health care at all—it's a wealth transfer: slashes care to fund tax cuts for the wealthy & corporations.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 23, 2017

Slashing Medicaid hurts kids, the elderly, people with disabilities and those struggling with addiction. All for tax breaks for the wealthy.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 23, 2017

Especially now, when so many communities are struggling with opioid addiction, the bill's drastic cuts to Medicaid are cruel.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 23, 2017

Let's see a bill that actually tries to improve folks' health care, and then we can have a reasonable debate about how to best do that.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 23, 2017

Senate Republicans unveiled the Better Care Reconciliation Act on Thursday morning and the reception has been tepid. Five Republican senators have vowed not to support the bill in its current form.

Despite the opposition, Senate GOP leaders are hoping to garner enough support for the bill to put it up for a floor vote next Thursday before lawmakers depart Capitol Hill for a short July 4 break.

Former President Barrack Obama released a statement Thursday that called the healthcare legislation "a massive transfer of wealth."