Rep. Kildee Issues Statement on Collapse of Republican Health Care Bill

WASHINGTON, July 18 -- Rep. Daniel Kildee, D-Mich., issued the following statement after the Republican health care bill, Trumpcare, collapsed in the Senate and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced he will push to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act:

"The American people have spoken loudly in opposition to Trumpcare and once again ensured its defeat. The Republican health care plan is deeply unpopular, yet Republicans now are pushing an even more extreme and dangerous plan that would entirely repeal the Affordable Care Act without any replacement plan. Simply put, Republicans would throw our health care system into chaos.

"Repealing the Affordable Care Act without a replacement would have disastrous consequences. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, 32 million Americans would lose their health care. Insurance companies would once again be in charge of health care and able to reinstate annual or lifetime caps on care, as well as discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions.

"Democrats are ready to work with Republicans to fix the current health care system. No law is perfect, including the Affordable Care Act. Democrats have proposed changes to the current health care system to lower costs and improve access to care. It is long past time for Republicans to drop their obsession with repealing the Affordable Care Act and work in a bipartisan fashion to address the fixes that require action."