Murray on GOP Leaders’ Latest Rejection of Bipartisan Work to Lower Patients’ Costs in Favor of Partisan Politics

Murray will keep working to get Republicans back to the table; push for policies that lower costs for families

Murray: “It’s unfortunate that Senator McConnell and Speaker Ryan have time and time again rejected bipartisan work on health care in favor of partisan health care politics, and chosen politically-driven show votes over getting a result for families”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement after Republican leaders once again undermined bipartisan efforts to protect families from the higher premiums they will see next year due to Republican health care sabotage.

“With the strong support of Democratic leadership in both chambers, I’ve worked with Chairman Alexander for months in good faith to try to negotiate a bipartisan agreement that would have lowered health care costs for families and restored much-needed stability to health care in our country. It’s unfortunate that Senator McConnell and Speaker Ryan have time and time again rejected bipartisan work on health care in favor of partisan health care politics, and chosen politically-driven show votes over getting a result for families. I’m going to keep pushing them to reconsider and allow Republicans to work with Democrats on health care policies that actually help deliver what patients and families want: lower heath care costs.”

Republican leaders abruptly stopped negotiations on the original Alexander-Murray health care stabilization agreement in September to attempt to pass the Graham-Cassidy repeal bill. Following the failure of that version of Trumpcare, Senator McConnell still refused to bring Alexander-Murray up for a vote, opting instead to jam the Republican tax bill through and raise families’ premiums to fund tax cuts for massive corporations and the wealthiest.

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