Democrats Admit Obamacare is Failing
‘If our friends on the other side of the aisle want to join us in replacing Obamacare with common-sense reforms, I welcome their input. It’s disappointing that it’s taken our Democratic colleagues this long to come around, but I look forward to hearing their ideas now, and I look forward to joining in a robust debate on the Senate floor as we pursue smarter health care solutions.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Obamacare and Senate Democrats’ acknowledgement that the status quo is unsustainable:
“I’m glad to see many of our Democratic friends here with us today. Yesterday, they sent me a letter indicating that they want to participate as we work on legislation that can bring relief from Obamacare. In that letter, they acknowledged the need to ‘improve and reform the health care system.’
“After eight years of defending this failing law and its higher costs, reduced choices, and dropped coverage, I’m glad to hear that Senate Democrats are finally willing to concede that the status quo is unsustainable. I appreciate their willingness to acknowledge that Obamacare hasn’t lived up to its promises. That’s certainly a reality that Senate Republicans agree with. It’s why we’re working to keep our commitment to the American people to move beyond the failures of Obamacare.
“If our friends on the other side of the aisle want to join us in replacing Obamacare with common-sense reforms, I welcome their input. It’s disappointing that it’s taken our Democratic colleagues this long to come around, but I look forward to hearing their ideas now, and I look forward to joining in a robust debate on the Senate floor as we pursue smarter health care solutions.
“As we continue working to address this critical issue, it’s important to remember why we need to act in the first place. Across the country, more and more Americans are feeling the pain of Obamacare. Listen to these recent headlines:
“‘Thousands of Obamacare Customers Left Without Options As Insurers Bolt.’
“‘More Insurers Abandon Obamacare: Who Might Be Next?’
‘”Obamacare Choices Could Go From One to Zero in Some Areas.’
“Obamacare is failing the American people, and it keeps getting worse. Families face skyrocketing premiums, fewer choices, and the risk of losing the doctors or plans they like. Just this week, we saw even more troubling news out of states like Maryland, where one major insurer just proposed a premium increase of more than 50%, warning that the Obamacare market is ‘in the early stages of a death spiral.’ We saw similar stories out of Connecticut too. There, insurers have also requested double-digit increases, which could top out at 52% amid worries that the last two insurers on the exchanges ‘may leave.’
“These states aren’t alone. I continue to hear from Kentuckians who are desperate for relief from Obamacare. Take this Campbellsville woman, who purchased insurance on the Obamacare exchanges after researching the best policy to fit her needs. Only then did she find out how hard it would be for her to actually get care. Here’s what she said:
“‘Today I am making payments for a health care plan that does not cover my doctors, [and] does not cover all my prescriptions,’ she wrote. ’It is almost totally useless. I am only one person but I’m sure I speak for many people who are finding themselves in this difficult situation.’
“Obamacare is a failed law that continues to hurt Americans every day. It’s taking a bigger bite out of their budgets while, as too many have discovered, covering fewer services they need. We’ve all received letters from our constituents like the one I just shared. These families are the ones shouldering the burdens of Obamacare. They’re the ones counting on us to act and move past the failures of Obamacare. If we don’t, this situation will only get worse.
“That’s why we continue to engage in productive conversations, with each member of our caucus, on the way forward on providing relief from Obamacare. I look forward to continuing these talks and welcoming our Democratic colleagues to the conversation if they’re ready to join us. But it’s certainly an important step for the entire Democratic Caucus to acknowledge that the status quo is failing the American people and that Congress cannot sit by while Americans suffer the consequences of this failed law.”
Related Issues: Obamacare, Health Care, Senate Democrats
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