Rep. Takano: CBO Estimate Reveals Senate Health Care Bill Is ‘Profound Moral Failure’

WASHINGTON, June 26 -- Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., issued the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office estimated 22 million fewer Americans would have health insurance by 2026 if the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 was passed into law:

"The report released by the Congressional Budget Office today confirms the ugly truth about the Senate Republican health care bill: It is a profound moral failure. The scope of its damage to working families, seniors, women, and veterans is only matched by the speed at which it would undermine access to affordable health care. As soon as 2018, 15 million fewer Americans would have health insurance and average premiums would increase by 20 percent.

"Despite President Trump's repeated promises to protect Medicaid, this Republican bill cuts Medicaid $772 billion. Even the goal of decreasing premiums would only eventually be accomplished by allowing insurers to offer high-deductible plans that cover fewer medical services and raise out-of-pocket costs.

"The CBO report is further proof that the Republican health care overhaul has never truly been about health care. It's about cutting taxes for the richest families in America."