Rep. Esty on Senate Health Care Bill: ‘Undemocratic Secrecy Produced Cruel Result’

WASHINGTON, June 22 -- Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., issued the following statement regarding the release of the Senate GOP's health care bill:

"Like most Americans, I'm just now getting the opportunity to read this bill. That fact alone represents everything my constituents have told me they can't stand about Washington - a handful of Senators from just one party gathered in secret to write a bill that will make life harder for American families.

"This bill is just as 'mean' as its House counterpart. Under this plan, millions of Americans will no longer be able to afford health insurance. Millions of others will pay more money for less coverage. People who are struggling with addiction or mental illness will lose access to the care they need for treatment and recovery. Many women will go without the lifesaving preventive services like breast exams and ovarian cancer screenings that Planned Parenthood provides.

"I'm ready and eager to work with my Republican colleagues on a bipartisan plan to improve our health care system - but in an open process that is guided by the people we represent. I've heard from families all across our district that they need lower premiums, lower deductibles, cheaper prescription drugs, and more options for care. Like the House bill, the Senate bill accomplishes none of these things. It's unsurprising that such a secretive process produced such a cruel result."