Murray Remarks on Newly-Released CBO Score on Trumpcare

Latest CBO score confirms sky-rocketing costs for families – all for less care  

Millions of families who rely on Medicaid, Planned Parenthood, stand to lose coverage

Murray: “Let’s be very clear: the principles behind Trumpcare in the House and Trumpcare in the all-male, closed-door, Senate Republican working group are the same”

WATCH SENATOR MURRAY’S REMARKS HERE

(Washington, D.C.) – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered the following remarks at a press conference today regarding the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) new score for the Republican Trumpcare bill:

“I have had to say this far too often recently—but people are really scared right now. I’ve heard from so many of them—in Washington state and across the country—about how Trumpcare would threaten their health, their families’ health, and their ability to make ends meet. Unfortunately, today’s CBO score tells us what we already knew about Trumpcare—and it confirms the worst fears of families across the country. If you’re one of the millions of people in the  United States who has a pre-existing condition—which, under Trumpcare, could simply mean being a woman—your health care costs could go up dramatically. If you’re on Medicaid—you could lose that coverage along with tens of millions of other people. If you’re a Planned Parenthood patient—you are very likely going to lose the provider you trust because of politicians in Washington. But if you’re a big corporation in the health sector—odds are good you are looking at a massive tax break. And of course, if you’re President Trump—this is all one huge win just for you.

“Now, Senator McConnell said this morning that the CBO score would “repeat things we already knew” about the House bill. That’s completely true. But let’s be very clear: the principles behind Trumpcare in the House and Trumpcare in the all-male, closed-door, Senate Republican working group are the same: that it’s fine for sick people and seniors to pay more for their care—that insurance companies should be able to sell people insurance that’s no better than snake oil—and that if people nationwide lose coverage altogether, that’s no problem. So long as the wealthiest get their tax breaks and President Trump gets his partisan political win.

“Those are the principles families have rejected. Those are the principles Democrats are here today rejecting. And Senate Republics should know that until they do as well—by dropping their partisan efforts to sabotage the health care system in ways that hurt families and raise their costs—and by dropping their attempts to repeal the health care law--they are standing squarely in the way of real solutions to problems far too many people across the country are facing when it comes to their health care. I hope they’ll take a hard look at the facts today and change course. And if they do--I know we Democrats are ready to get to work to make health care more affordable, more accessible, and higher quality.” 

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