Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) doubled down on his characterization of the Republican health care proposal, the American Health Care Act, as “a stinking pile of garbage.” Massie’s criticism underscores the growing “GOP civil war” over repealing Obamacare, similar to the extensive Republican infighting over Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. From the March 9 edition of Fox News’ America’s News Headquarters:

SANDRA SMITH (CO-HOST): So Congressman, let's get to these words that you have used to explain how you think of this Obamacare repeal plan. Let’s see. “It's a stinking pile of garbage.” Why did you choose those words? 

REP THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): Probably because it was off the cuff and it was -- I committed candor. I said what I was thinking. This is a new entitlement program and it's just bad all around. I mean, there are a few good things about it, but we shouldn't replace one entitlement program with another. It's not a Republican conservative bill. 

SMITH: OK. So it was an off the cuff remark. Is that something you're walking back at this point, to be clear? 

MASSIE: No, it's still a stinking pile of garbage.

[...]

SMITH: Congressman, what sort of response are you getting to your Republican colleagues, especially using those kind of words to describe this effort? 

MASSIE: Most of them appreciate my frankness. Most, for instance, of the Freedom Caucus. They feel that way, a lot of them haven't spoken that strongly about it. But behind the scenes, they’re -- the speaker's missing at least 40 of the votes that he needs to get to 218, and he can only afford to lose 24 votes. That's a problem in the House. Then in the Senate, it looks like Senator Paul and Senator Lee are strongly against this and other senators for different reasons. It seems dead on arrival in the Senate, but I don't even think it's going to get out of the House.