Rep. DeGette: Why Are Republicans Playing Hide and Seek with Americans’ Health Care?

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a leading voice on American health care policy, issued the following statement about reports that Republican House members had drafted a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act but were hiding it from Democrats:

"Before passing the ACA, the House held 79 related bipartisan hearings and markups over two years, with input from 181 witnesses proposed on both sides the aisle. The bill was posted online for 30 days before the first committee markup.

"Now we're hearing that a bill dismantling and replacing the ACA will be marked up in committee next week. Republicans are denying neither that news nor reports that such a bill exists. Today, several members of the House and Senate literally tried to track down the measure upon word that it was being kept in a room in the Capitol.

"Substantive policy-making is serious business. Americans' health care is not a game. Why are the Republicans playing hide and seek with it?"

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