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Jimmy Kimmel's baby son 'helps' him write powerful monologue about health care bill

Jimmy Kimmel spoke out against the latest proposed Republican health care bill after receiving some inspiration from his baby son.
/ Source: TODAY

Jimmy Kimmel delivered an impassioned monologue against the new Republican health care plan on Tuesday night after getting some "help" from his infant son before the show.

The host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" made his negative feelings clear about the plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, a fight that has been inspired by his baby son, Billy.

"This new bill actually does pass the Jimmy Kimmel test, but a different Jimmy Kimmel test,'' he said. "With this one, your child with a pre-existing condition will get the care he needs — if, and only if, his father is Jimmy Kimmel. Otherwise, you might be screwed."

Earlier in the day, he posted a sweet picture with Billy, who needed open-heart surgery three days after he was born in April, "helping" him with the monologue. Last month Kimmel said Billy is "an amazing kid" in good health.

Kimmel is advocating against passage of the health care bill proposed by Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy that has until Sept. 30 to receive enough votes to pass in Congress. Cassidy said in an appearance on Kimmel's show in May that any new bill has to "pass the Jimmy Kimmel test."

Kimmel said Tuesday that Cassidy "just lied right to my face" on the show and that his new plan would not prevent discrimination based on pre-existing conditions or insurance companies imposing lifetime caps on coverage while lowering premiums for middle-class families.

When Kimmel first tearfully spoke about enduring the heart-wrenching days following Billy's birth, he also remarked about the importance of an equal health care system that doesn't discriminate by income level.

"If your parents didn't have medical insurance, you might not live long enough to even get denied because of a pre-existing condition,'' he said on the show in May. "If your baby is going to die and it doesn't have to, it shouldn't matter how much money you make."

He asked Cassidy in Tuesday's monologue to keep his name out of any association with the bill.

"There's a new Jimmy Kimmel test for you, it's called the lie detector test. You're welcome to stop by the studio and take it anytime," he said.

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