Americans Deserve Better Than Obamacare

Congressional Documents & Publications

Thursday, June 29, 2017

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Americans Deserve Better Than Obamacare

'Senators and the White House are continuing discussions on the path forward for bringing relief from Obamacare and its collapsing markets. We've made good progress, and we'll keep working. As we do, our focus will remain on the major Obamacare problems that continue to hurt Americans across the country.'

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the Senate Republican health care plan:

"Senators and the White House are continuing discussions on the path forward for bringing relief from Obamacare and its collapsing markets. We've made good progress, and we'll keep working. As we do, our focus will remain on the major Obamacare problems that continue to hurt Americans across the country.

"Under Obamacare, premiums have skyrocketed. Over the past several years, Obamacare has caused premiums to climb by an average of 105 percent in the vast majority of states on the federal exchange -- and it has caused them to triple in some states. Next year, Obamacare is expected to raise premiums again, as high as 30% or greater in states like Connecticut and Virginia; by as much as 40% or greater in Maine and Iowa; and by as much as an astonishing 80% in New Mexico. Americans deserve better than Obamacare.

"Under Obamacare, choices have diminished, even disappeared, in states across the country. Obamacare has left 70 percent of counties with little or no insurance options on the exchanges this year. And even worse, next year dozens more counties could have zero choice at all -- potentially leaving thousands trapped, forced by law to purchase Obamacare insurance but left without the means to do so. For instance, as we learned just yesterday, as many as 14 of Nevada's 17 counties could now be left without any insurance options under Obamacare at all in 2018. Americans deserve better than Obamacare.

"Under Obamacare, mandates have forced families into plans they don't want or can't afford, preferred doctors have become less accessible to many patients, and plans have grown less desirable but more expensive. Americans deserve better than Obamacare. That's why we're continuing to work hard.

"Fixing Obamacare's failures and protecting families from its consequences isn't an easy task. It's disappointing that our Democratic colleagues made clear early on that they were not interested in joining our efforts in a serious, comprehensive manner, especially given how many of their constituents have been hurt by the law that they themselves voted for and continue to defend. But the Republican conference continues to work through solutions to help those who've been hurt by this failing system because, as we all can agree, Obamacare's status quo is unsustainable and unacceptable. We have to act, and we are."