Obamacare: Paying More For Less

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

"Last night, the committees of jurisdiction in the House released a proposal to repeal Obamacare and begin the process of replacing of it with common-sense reforms to preserve access and lower cost. The plan builds upon the 2015 repeal bill, which was vetoed by President Obama. I'm happy to hear the committees will begin consideration this week. I encourage every member to review it because I hope to call it up when we receive it from the House.

"It's clear to just about everyone that Obamacare is failing. Costs are soaring. Choices are diminishing. Insurance markets are teetering. It would be easy to just sit back and watch this partisan law collapse under its own weight. Pass the buck to the next guy. That seems to be the Democrats' strategy. But Republicans think the middle class deserves better.

"In election after election, Americans have called for relief. In election after election, Americans have called for an end to this partisan law. We promised we'd do both of those things. We are.

"The legislation the House introduced last night represents the next step along that path. It's the result of a long conversation with many voices, and it's supported by the one person who can actually sign a bill into law -- the President of the United States. I want to recognize everyone for their contributions and hard work. Given last night's announcement, I especially want to commend our colleagues in the House.

"The policy conversation that led to what we saw last night continues now. The policy process moves forward today. We've come a long way. We've got a lot further to go. But we're making significant progress. Working arm-in-arm with the House and the new administration, we're going to keep our promise to the American people.

"Because Obamacare is a direct attack on the middle class. We all know it. We all get the letters and the phone calls. We hear the heart-break and the frustration nearly every day. Consider this letter from one of my constituents in Goshen, who wrote about the Obamacare plans available to his family:

"'I am extremely displeased with the limited choices available. While 16 plans are listed for me at the Healthcare.gov website, they all are inferior to my current 2016 plan,' he wrote. 'Neither our primary care physician nor my rheumatologist is in network of any offered 2017 plan.'

"'The cost,' he continued, 'is another problem. The 2017 plan that I will probably choose will have a 20% higher premium than my 2016 plan with a lower level of benefits...'

"Paying more for less. That's Obamacare for you right there. Look, in so many different ways, we've seen the evidence for years now that Obamacare simply isn't working. This isn't a law that can be fixed. This isn't a law that can be saved. It has to be repealed and replaced. We promised the American people we would. We're keeping our promise."

Read this original document at: http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=34F9ECD5-8CB3-422D-AE9C-301107995C44