At HELP Hearing, Murray Blasts GOP for Refusing to Address Trumpcare, “No Excuse” with Millions of Patients, Families at Risk
Senate GOP rejected requests by Senate Democrats to refocus today’s FDA hearing, discuss Trumpcare instead—LINK
At hearing, Murray called attempts by Senate GOP to silence debate “completely appalling”
Murray warned Senate GOP they are impacting Committee’s ability to work together moving forward
Murray: “While there is every reason for Republicans to want to avoid talking about [Trumpcare’s] disastrous consequences—that’s no excuse for trying to make it an elephant in the room”
(Washington, D.C.) – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today delivered the following opening statement at a hearing to discuss the FDA user fees agreement. Senator Murray, along with all 11 Democrats on the HELP Committee, had pushed Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to focus the hearing on the House Republicans’ Trumpcare bill that could be on the House floor in a matter of days.
“We’re talking about legislation that will have a profound—and profoundly negative—impact on the lives, wellbeing, and financial security of people across the country—people who, I might add, are truly terrified about the uncertain path forward,” said Senator Murray. “The idea that our committee—the health committee—wouldn’t have a single hearing to discuss and debate it is completely appalling, and leaves me very concerned that our bipartisan tradition on the HELP Committee is continuing to give way to extraordinary partisanship.”
In her opening statement, Senator Murray said that Congressional Republicans have made repeated attempts to limit public discussion of the devastating impact of Trumpcare. Most recently, in the Senate, Majority Leader McConnell has said he intends to bypass regular order and bring Trumpcare directly to the floor without hearings, regardless of how different House and Senate versions may be, and despite widespread reports that many Senate Republicans are deeply concerned with Trumpcare.
“I know Democrats aren’t the only ones with grave concerns about the many ways Trumpcare would hurt women, families, and seniors nationwide. Republicans should do the right thing, step back from the precipice, and work with us to strengthen our health care system, not destroy it.”
Commenting on the FDA user fee agreements, Murray noted that “these agreements are an important tool to help ensure that FDA can uphold its gold standard of approval, while evaluating new drugs and devices efficiently,” but cited several concerns about the actions of the Trump Administration, including potential unprecedented actions to alter the agreements, and that the Administration is hampering the FDA by depriving it of key staff and blocking its ability to issue the guidance and regulation.
Senator Murray concluded: “I want to reiterate my sincere disappointment and shock that there is so much at stake for patients and families, that such a harmful bill could be jammed through the Senate in a matter of days, and that this committee will apparently have no formal opportunity to discuss it. Trumpcare is causing millions of people fear and worry—and while there is every reason for Republicans to want to avoid talking about its disastrous consequences—that’s no excuse for trying to make it an elephant in the room.”
Full text of opening statement by Senator Patty Murray, as prepared for delivery:
Thank you, Chairman Alexander.
And thank you to our colleagues and our witnesses for joining us.
I want to discuss the letter every Democrat on this committee signed and sent to you this past Friday, requesting that our hearing on user fees be delayed in order to make time for an urgently needed discussion of Trumpcare.
To be frank, the hearing we are having today seems inappropriate for the moment we are in. House Republicans’ Trumpcare bill could be on the House floor in a matter of days.
This is legislation that will tens of millions of people off of coverage. It will cause premiums to spike; target seniors for higher health care costs just because of their age; end Medicaid as we know it and make coverage too expensive for millions of rural and older Americans; cut off access to critical health care services at Planned Parenthood, and unfortunately I could go on.
Trumpcare will cause all this harm and more, while giving the wealthiest 0.1 percent of Americans a nearly $200,000 tax cut, and giving insurance company executives a massive tax break, too.
Now, Senator McConnell has indicated that Trumpcare could change significantly in the Senate if it passes the House. But instead of giving Senators time to review and evaluate a possibly very different bill, he has indicated it will go straight to the floor for a vote.
We’re talking about legislation that will have a profound—and profoundly negative—impact on the lives, wellbeing, and financial security of people across the country—people who, I might add, are truly terrified about the uncertain path forward.
The idea that our committee—the health committee—wouldn’t have a single hearing to discuss and debate it is completely appalling, and leaves me very concerned that our bipartisan tradition on the HELP Committee is continuing to give way to extraordinary partisanship from Republican leaders and the Trump Administration.
Now—I really hope we see a reversal of this pattern. And I hope it begins with a HELP committee hearing on the impact of this dangerous legislation.
Especially given that I know Democrats aren’t the only ones with grave concerns about the many ways Trumpcare would hurt women, families, and seniors nationwide.
Republicans should do the right thing, step back from the precipice, and work with us to strengthen our health care system, not destroy it.
It would be truly unfortunate if this intense partisanship from Republicans in the health care arena were to impact Congress’s ability to work together on shared priorities like reauthorizing user fee agreements this year.
The already finalized user fee agreements for drugs, generics, biosimilars, and medical devices reflect thorough negotiation.
They will help support the growth and maturation of the FDA to an agency ready for 21st century technology and the movement toward precision medicine, and build on the bipartisan policies passed in 21st Century Cures last year.
And especially in light of our very tight fiscal reality, these agreements are an important tool to help ensure that FDA can uphold its gold standard of approval, while evaluating new drugs and devices efficiently.
I oppose efforts by the Trump Administration to take unprecedented actions to alter these agreements, or to undermine the important public health work of the agency.
And I’m also concerned that the Administration is hampering the FDA by depriving it of key staff and blocking its ability to issue the guidance and regulation needed to foster innovation.
Moving forward with agreements as already finalized is absolutely necessary if Congress wants to advance safe, effective, and innovative medical products for patients and families across the country. Without these agreements, the agency will be crippled.
Another key concern for me—and one that I know is a huge burden for families in my state and nationwide—is the astronomically high price of prescription drugs.
To be clear, the FDA’s approval processes and standards are not the root cause of high drug prices. But everyone in this room knows we are facing a dire situation when it comes to the rising costs of drugs.
Our broken system results in patients and families across the country being unable to afford the drugs and treatments they need—and this a situation that demands action from our committee.
I know our members on both sides of the aisle have ideas about ways to reduce the burden of drug costs and I’m committed to working with all of my colleagues on addressing this.
Chairman Alexander, I want to reiterate my sincere disappointment and shock that there is so much at stake for patients and families, that such a harmful bill could be jammed through the Senate in a matter of days, and that this committee will apparently have no formal opportunity to discuss it.
Trumpcare is causing millions of people fear and worry—and while there is every reason for Republicans to want to avoid talking about its disastrous consequences—that’s no excuse for trying to make it an elephant in the room.
Thank you.
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