Murray, Senate Democrats to Put Republicans on the Record on Health Care, Force Vote to Reverse Trump Rule Eroding Pre-existing Condition Protections

Senate Democrats will be forcing a vote on legislation to reverse President Trump’s rule encouraging states to promote junk insurance plans and undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions

Murray: “I am here today to say that Republicans’ transparent health care charade is coming to an end.”

Murray: “We are going to keep pushing Republicans to do the right thing and stand up for patients and families—even if it means standing against President Trump.”

***Watch Senator Murray’s remarks HERE***

Washington D.C.—Today, Senator Murray, ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, spoke on the Senate floor about Democrats plans to force a vote on a Congressional Review Act to roll back the Trump administration’s 1332 waiver rule, which encourages states to eliminate protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, increase costs, and promote harmful junk insurance plans. If left in place, the rule will encourage states to promote high-cost, low-quality health insurance plans that fail to cover pre-existing conditions, prescription drugs, maternal care, mental health care, and more.

“I am here today to say that Republicans’ transparent health care charade is coming to an end,” Murray said in a floor speech.

“…if Republicans continue to side with President Trump and his efforts to take protections away from patients, and give power back to big insurance companies, Democrats aren’t going to let up—we are going to double down. We are going to make sure families know which party is offering solutions to protect their care—and which is blocking them. Which party is trying to repair the damage President Trump has caused—and which is trying to cause even more harm. Which party is fighting for their health care—and which is fighting against it. And we are going to keep pushing Republicans to do the right thing and stand up for patients and families—even if it means standing against President Trump,” Murray continued.

Senator Murray’s full speech below and watch a video HERE:

“Thank you.

“When it comes to health care, families across the country have repeatedly seen President Trump and Republicans say one thing, only to do the exact opposite.

“Despite proclaiming themselves the ‘party of health care,’ despite making empty promises to fight for families, and protect people with pre-existing conditions—the cornerstone of Republicans’ health care policy has been to attack the care families rely on with massively harmful Trumpcare proposals, junk plans and waivers that chip away at patient protections, and, of course, their partisan lawsuit which the court could rule on any day.

“If Republicans get their way in court, they will throw the lives of patients across the country into chaos and uncertainty by striking down protections for pre-existing conditions, stripping health insurance from the tens of millions of people covered through Medicaid expansion or the exchanges, getting rid of lifetime and annual caps on patients’ out-of-pocket costs, while bringing back caps on their benefits—even for those insured through their employer, and ending essential health benefits that require insurers to cover, prescription drugs, maternity care, mental health care, emergency care, and more.

“And while Republicans have been advancing their attacks on families’ health care, they’ve also been blocking commonsense solutions Senate Democrats have pushed for like legislation to bring down drug prices through impactful steps like Medicare negotiation, make coverage more affordable for working families, and protect patients with pre-existing conditions from Republicans’ reckless lawsuit.

“Democrats in the House have also passed legislation to restore funding President Trump cut to help people find the right care for them, to reverse President Trump’s harmful junk insurance rule, and to actually defend patients from the partisan lawsuit Republicans are pushing to upend health care as we know it.

“What have Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans done with these solutions?

“They’ve buried each and every one of them in their legislative graveyard, while brazenly and inaccurately claiming they care about fighting for patients, or protecting pre-existing conditions.

“M. President, I am here today to say that Republicans’ transparent health care charade is coming to an end. Soon, Democrats will force a vote on legislation that Senator McConnell can’t bury in Republicans’ legislative graveyard, meaning every Senator is going to have to go on the record as to where they really stand on health care with families or with President Trump and his schemes that take power away from patients and give it back to insurance companies.

“Our legislation would reverse a step President Trump took to warp a tool meant to encourage innovation into one that encourages states to eliminate protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, increase costs, and promote harmful junk insurance plans that can charge vulnerable patients more, while covering less.

“President Trump’s junk plans can flout protections for pre-existing conditions. Meaning they can discriminate against patients like Lily, a high school student from Gig Harbor, Washington with cystic fibrosis Julie, a four time cancer survivor from Mercer Island Javi a college student in Seattle with mental health needs, and millions of other patients across the country with a pre-existing condition.

“Letting President Trump expand the use of these junk plans could leave patients with higher premiums, higher out of pocket costs, and fewer affordable options to get the health care they need.

“And President Trump’s rule could even be used to cut financial help for the patients who need it most, and take benefits away from the sickest patients—even if they don’t buy junk insurance.

“That is absolutely unacceptable.

“And exactly why the vote Democrats will be forcing is so important.

“These patients deserve to know we have their backs, that we are fighting against President Trump’s efforts to undermine their health care, not cheering him on and blocking efforts to stop them.

“Democrats are going to be talking about this a lot—because we know families across the country care about it a lot .We are going to be putting pressure on Republicans to do the right thing—the thing patients and families sent them here to do.

“And if they don’t—if they continue their relentless attacks on families’ health care, if Republicans continue to side with President Trump and his efforts to take protections away from patients,  and give power back to big insurance companies, Democrats aren’t going to let up, we are going to double down.

“We are going to make sure families know which party is offering solutions to protect their care—and which is blocking them. Which party is trying to repair the damage President Trump has caused—and which is trying to cause even more harm. Which party is fighting for their health care—and which is fighting against it.

“And we are going to keep pushing Republicans to do the right thing and stand up for patients and families—even if it means standing against President Trump.”

“Thank you.”

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