Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate health committee, took to the Senate floor Thursday to call on Republican leaders to drop the House Republicans’ “Trumpcare” bill, and warned it would cause chaos and confusion throughout the country’s health care system.
A vote on the bill was planned for Friday.
But on Thursday, the seventh anniversary of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law, Washington state’s senior senator urged Republicans to work with Democrats on a bipartisan solution.
Murray specifically highlighted the story of Erin Zerba, a teacher of 19 years, who depends on the ACA for critical health care services and whose life would be at risk if Trumpcare becomes law.
Murray also noted that amendments offered to gain enough Republican votes for passage had made the legislation “even worse.”
“Trumpcare wasn’t enough of a giveaway to insurance companies — it didn’t do enough harm to women, seniors, and people with pre-existing conditions — so Republican leaders decided to double down in efforts to appeal to their extreme conservative base,” Murray said. “They’re now claiming they can take away essential health benefits like maternity care, mental health care, and pre-existing conditions through the reconciliation process.”
“But here are the facts. Republican leaders know just as well as Democrats do that measures to take away these critically important protections can’t survive the reconciliation process and could never get 60 votes in the Senate. They are simply trying to sell conservatives a bill of goods today in the rush to jam this through.
“But the more they scramble, the more harmful this bill gets for patients and families, and the worse this will be for any House Republican who will be held accountable for their votes on it,” Murray said.
Many Americans will lose access to health care if the legislation is passed, she added.
“This bill would kick 24 million people off of their coverage; it would cause premiums to sky rocket; seniors to pay more for care; it would put at risk those struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders, including opioid addiction; and it would end Medicaid as we know it. And, predictably, it attacks women’s constitutionally protected health care and rights; defunding Planned Parenthood; and putting insurance companies back in charge of other critical parts of women’s health care, including: maternity care, cancer screenings, and contraception. As I’ve said — this bill undermines women’s access to health care and women’s ability to make their own health care decisions, in virtually every way a piece of legislation could.”
“Like many of my colleagues, I have constituents coming up to me constantly when I’m back at home, asking me what’s going to happen to them if Trumpcare becomes law. They are bravely sharing deeply personal stories about their health, their families, and their fears — something they shouldn’t have to do — and they deserve to be heard. Erin Zerba from my home state of Washington deserves to be heard. Erin has been a teacher for nearly 19 years. She teaches in two rural school districts … If it wasn’t for the Medicaid expansion, under the Affordable Care Act, she would have no options.”
