‘Returning Power To The States’

PRESIDENT TRUMP: ‘Repeal & Replace Obamacare. Money Direct To The States!’

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I hope Republican Senators will vote for Graham-Cassidy and fulfill their promise to Repeal & Replace ObamaCare. Money direct to States!” (@RealDonaldTrump, Twitter, 9/20/2017)

• TRUMP: “I would not sign Graham-Cassidy if it did not include coverage of pre-existing conditions. It does! A great Bill. Repeal & Replace.” (@RealDonaldTrump, Twitter, 9/20/2017)

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: “Went to the Senate today to say @POTUS & I fully support Graham-Cassidy plan to repeal/replace Obamacare. Let's get this done.” (@VP, Twitter, 9/19/2017)

SEN. MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “[Graham / Cassidy] would repeal the pillars of Obamacare and replace that failed law’s failed approach with a new one: allowing states and governors to actually implement better health-care ideas by taking more decision-making power out of Washington. Governors and state legislators of both parties would have both the opportunity and the responsibility to help make quality and affordable healthcare available to their citizens in a way that works for their own particular states.” (Sen. McConnell, Floor Remarks, 9/19/2017)

HOUSE SPEAKER PAUL RYAN (R-WI): “I appreciate Senators Graham and Cassidy continuing to work on a plan to pass the Senate. I’ll take federalism over Obamacare any day.” (Speaker Ryan, @SpeakerRyan, Twitter, 9/15/2017)

SEN. GRAHAM: ‘Take The Money And Power In Washington And Send It Back Closer To The Patient’

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): “I'm a doctor. For 25 years caring for those who didn't have coverage. It is my goal to continue to bring them coverage. I think the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson does a far better job for this than status quo.” (Sen. Cassidy, Press Conference, 9/19/2017)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): “I'm trying to take the money and power in Washington and send it back closer to the patient. If you believe government closer to the people is the best government, why not healthcare?” (Sen. Graham, Press Conference, 9/19/2017)

• SEN. GRAHAM: “What we do is we'll repeal the individual mandate, the employer mandate. We take all the money we'd spend on Obamacare and block grant it back to the state…. It will allow governors to control health care with the state legislators.” (Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” 9/13/2017)

SEN. JOHN BARRASSO (R-WY): “Problems with the American healthcare system, as a result of ObamaCare, continue to get worse …” (Sen. Barrasso, Congressional Record, S. 5839, 9/19/2017)

SEN. ROY BLUNT (R-MO): “There is no argument that what we have now is not working…. I do think we could do a better job serving healthcare needs for people in the 50 States and the territories if, in fact, we gave them more authority to do that.” (Sen. Blunt, Congressional Record, S. 5846-7, 9/19/2017)

• SEN. BLUNT: “Let's take advantage of the Constitution and the Federal system of government … Let's try to create an environment where everybody gets to deal with this where there is the greatest opportunity, greatest sensitivity, greatest availability, and greatest understanding of how, if those things aren't working, to uniquely come up with a solution to the problems in that State …” (Sen. Blunt, Congressional Record, S. 5847, 9/19/2017)

SEN. DEAN HELLER (R-NV): “Doing nothing to try to solve Obamacare’s failures isn’t an option…. The Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson plan is the most viable solution to achieving our health care reform goals by recognizing Obamacare’s failed one-size-fits-all approach and returning power to the states…. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting a plan that allows our governors and legislatures the flexibility to support programs that are currently working in our states and to explore new options to address coverage and cost.” (Sen. Cassidy, Press Release, 9/13/2017)

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): “Returning more health care decisions to the states and ensuring equal treatment for states like Wisconsin that spend taxpayer dollars wisely will allow local leaders to tailor their health care system to the needs of its citizens while maintaining protections for those with high cost and pre-existing conditions.” (Sen. Cassidy, Press Release, 9/13/2017)

SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R-AZ): “Graham-Cassidy plan to Repeal And Replace Obamacare has my support. It ought to be brought to the senate floor.” (Sen. Flake, @JeffFlake, Twitter, 9/17/2017)

SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R-AL): “This is what a lot of us ran on — we’ve been advocating it for years. Let the states run it. They know more about it. They run the Medicaid program. They run our highway programs. We send 80 percent of money to various transit and highway stations — there, where the rubber hits the road. … Our states — our 50 states — are very flexible, very innovative. Much more so than we are here. I think it will work, and it will be a big step toward federalism.” (“GOP Senators Are Rushing To Pass Graham-Cassidy,” Vox, 9/20/2017)