51 Senate Senior Heroes Give GOP ‘Skinny Bill’ a Fat Lip

WASHINGTON, July 28 -- The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare issued the following news release:

America's seniors and their families have a lot of thank you calls to make to the 51 Senators who refused to pass a 'skinny' Obamacare repeal bill that would have had disastrous consequences for millions of Americans who stood to lose their healthcare plans - and millions of seniors who were at risk of losing Medicaid coverage to pay for their nursing home bills and other long term care services and supports.

"Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and John McCain were under extreme pressure from the White House and their colleagues to vote with the party instead of voting for the American people. It's important to applaud them for stopping this train wreck of a healthcare bill. We have to wonder, however, why other Senators were willing to put their constituents at risk by cutting off their healthcare coverage," said Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

The National Committee implores Republicans to abandon their quest to repeal Obamacare and cooperate with Democrats to improve the Affordable Care Act. We endorse Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's plea that the parties collaborate to provide stability and certainty to the health insurance markets.

"We urge the majority party to put raw politics aside and work with Democrats to improve the Affordable Care Act in a way that benefits millions of American families in both blue states and red states. Let's move forward, not back," said Richtman.