Sen. Cruz Calls for Senate to Begin Floor Debate to Repeal, Replace Obamacare

WASHINGTON, July 24 -- The office of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement regarding Tuesday's planned Senate vote to begin debate on a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare:

"While disagreements remain on the best way to repeal and replace Obamacare, one thing is certain: the American people rightfully expect us to keep our promises and get the job done. Under Obamacare, too many of our friends, neighbors, and family members have seen their premiums and deductibles dramatically rise by more than $5,000 per year while they simultaneously lost access to the doctors and the plans they liked. Now is the time to prove that our rhetoric of the past seven years regarding the repeal and replacement of this disastrous bill will lead to substantive action. I intend to support the motion to proceed in order to begin this process.

"Although it is unclear exactly which legislative solutions will carry the day, of the various approaches that have been discussed, there are two that I can support. The first is to take up the Senate's 2015 Obamacare repeal bill and pass it. This would allow us to begin to immediately curtail the damage of Obamacare and give us two years to formulate a replacement plan that lowers premiums and once again gives Americans access to quality healthcare.

"The second approach is to adopt the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which includes my Consumer Freedom amendment, and also a provision to let Americans use pre-tax dollars in their health savings accounts (HSAs) to pay for premiums. A recent study released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services demonstrates that the Consumer Freedom amendment would result in 2.2 million more people obtaining insurance and reduce premiums by more than $7,000 per year. Consumer Freedom not only expands coverage and has a dramatic impact on premiums, but it also once again gives Americans the freedom to decide which healthcare plan is best for them.

"The Senate must now vote to begin debate on solutions that will undo the damage of Obamacare. Once it does, enacting either of these options - the 2015 repeal bill or the Better Care Reconciliation Act with Consumer Freedom and the ability to use HSAs to pay premiums - will be critical to earning my support."