Leader McConnell Issues Statement on ‘Fox News Sunday’

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 -- The office of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., issued the following news release:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appeared on Fox News Sunday this morning. The following are excerpts from his interview:

McConnell on Repealing and Replacing Obamacare

"We are working in connection with the administration to have an orderly process of repealing Obamacare and replacing it. So let me talk a minute about the status quo. What did Bill Clinton say about Obamacare last year? He said 'it's the craziest thing you've ever seen.' Eight out of 10 Americans want it entirely replaced or dramatically changed. Even if Hillary Clinton had won the election, we would be revisiting Obamacare. The status quo is not an option.

"So we are going to move carefully, in conjunction with the administration, to repeal and replace it with things like Health Savings Accounts, interstate health insurance sales, and high-risk pools at the state level to take care of people who have pre-existing conditions. All of these things can work. We want to move the power out to the states and allow them to develop healthcare programs that work for them."

McConnell on Confirming President Trump's Cabinet Nominees

"I'm confident we will [confirm the president's cabinet nominees]. What's been unfortunate is that all I asked for of my colleague, Senator Schumer, was to treat President Trump the same way as we treated President Obama.

"He got seven of them on the first day. We got two. They even delayed the CIA until Monday for some inexplicable reason."

McConnell on Confirming President Trump's Supreme Court Nominee

"I'm confident we will get a Supreme Court nominee confirmed. I expect an outstanding nominee sometime soon. I think it's noteworthy to look at how the Republican minority handled Bill Clinton in his first administration. Both of his first two nominees, Ginsberg and Breyer, no filibuster. Obama and his first term, two nominees, no filibuster. We think our nominee ought to be treated the same way."

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