Rep. Suozzi Rejects Proposed Senate Health Care Bill

WASHINGTON, June 22 -- Rep. Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., issued the following statement after Senate Republicans unveiled their proposed health care bill:

"It's really disappointing that this ill-advised health care law was written behind closed doors and without any input from the Democrats. This is a time for all of us - Democrats and Republicans - to be working together to improve health care. This proposed legislation does the exact opposite. Now they want to rush it through to a vote in the Senate before anyone has a chance to find out what's really in this bill and the impact it will have on Americans.

"I've always said and still say that the Affordable Care Act is not perfect and we need to 'mend it, not end it.' This deeply flawed Senate proposal, however, will result in skyrocketing premiums and deductibles, a burdensome age tax, will take millions of people off the health care rolls, make deep cuts to Medicaid and make it harder for people with pre-existing conditions to receive proper care.

"I call on the Senate to reject this legislation, take a page from the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus (where I serve as Vice-Chair with 22 Democrats and 22 Republicans), come back to the drawing board, and openly work together so that we can give the American people the high-quality, affordable health care they deserve."