Hastings’ Statement on Delay of Senate Affordable Care Act Repeal

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement after Senate Republican leaders announced that they will delay a vote on TrumpCare:

"The Senate TrumpCare bill is indefensible! For Majority Leader McConnell to champion legislation that will purposefully kick 22 million people off of their healthcare is an absurd display of partisanship, which should outrage every American across this nation.

"Half a trillion dollars in tax cuts for millionaires and big corporations is not healthcare policy, just as stealing nearly a trillion dollars from Medicaid is not healthcare reform. Republicans are having so many problems with their so-called bill, because they have frozen Democrats out of the process, and put their party ahead of our country.

"The Affordable Care Act is not perfect and needs to be improved. I don't think anyone denies that. However, it makes no sense to throw out all of the progress we have made on a partisan whim, rather than address the real challenges that we can work on together in a bipartisan basis.

"Rather than keeping up this charade on the taxpayers' dime, Majority Leader McConnell should work with both Democrats and Republicans to draft a bill that works for all Americans."

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Senior Member of the House Rules Committee, Ranking Democratic Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation.

Read this original document at: https://alceehastings.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398851