Americans Need Health Care Solutions That Actually Work

Monday, March 6, 2017

Contact: Don Stewart, David Popp 202-224-2979

Robert Steurer, Stephanie Penn 202-224-8288

Americans Need Health Care Solutions That Actually Work

'In election after election, the American people have called for an end to Obamacare. In the last election, they made their voices clear one more time. They elected a president and a Congress dedicated to bringing relief from this partisan law, and we're determined to do right by our constituents by doing so.'

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the following remarks on Senate floor today regarding the need for Obamacare repeal and replacement:

"In election after election, the American people have called for an end to Obamacare. In the last election, they made their voices clear one more time. They elected a president and a Congress dedicated to bringing relief from this partisan law, and we're determined to do right by our constituents by doing so.

"Nearly seven years after being signed into law, I continue to hear from Kentuckians who aren't sure how they can continue to manage under Obamacare's broken promises. Take this Kentuckian from Morehead who wrote my office earlier this year.

"'Prior to Obamacare,' he says, 'I had a manageable monthly healthcare premium that had enough coverage for myself with a reasonable deductible. Since Obamacare has been enforced, or should I say forced upon the American people, my premiums have increased each year significantly.'

"Now under Obamacare, this Kentuckian says keeping his same coverage for 2017 means facing a 300 percent increase in his premium as compared to the plan he had before the broken law was implemented.

"'...the general cost of healthcare has skyrocketed,' he writes, and as a result '...small business owners and [the] working middle class are suffering...'

"Unfortunately, his story is like so many others across the country. Americans were promised costs would go down. Americans were promised choice would go up. Americans were promised they could keep their health care plans. None of it was true.

"Americans need relief. They deserve a new direction. That's why we're taking action to repeal and replace Obamacare with health care solutions that can actually work for the American people.

"As our efforts to move beyond Obamacare continue, Senators came together last week for another important conversation on the way forward when it comes to our nation's health care policies. I also had the opportunity to visit the White House and discuss the ways in which the administration and Congress can continue working together to bring relief from Obamacare.

"The House will keep working this week as well to move forward with legislation that -- under a new president who will actually sign it -- can finally help us pursue smarter health care solutions in place of this failed partisan experiment. We know the task before us is daunting, but it's just as necessary.

"So I want to thank the Speaker for his continued leadership on this issue, along with each of our colleagues who have been working around the clock on repeal and replace efforts. Let's keep working this week so that we can bring Americans much-needed relief from Obamacare as soon as possible."