Sen. Durbin: Trump Is Threatening Millions of American Families By Undermining Health Care System

CHICAGO, Aug. 4 -- The office of Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., issued the following news release:

Following last week's bipartisan rejection of the latest Senate Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on President Trump and Congressional Republicans to work with Democrats to stabilize and strengthen America's health care system. President Trump has undertaken numerous actions to sabotage the ACA, and insurers - in Illinois and across the country - are proposing premium increases next year as a result of the Trump Administration's actions.

"After the Senate rejected the devastating health care repeal plans last week, the Trump Administration has continued to undermine our system for political gain. Trump has refused to commit to paying cost-sharing reduction subsidies that help keep premiums lower for working families, instructed federal agencies not to implement the ACA, cut open enrollment periods in half, yanked television and radio ads designed to ensure more young people enroll in insurance," Durbin said. "It is time for Republicans to abandon their seven year crusade against the ACA and sit down with Democrats and start solving problems for those in need."

The various Republican health care repeal bills would have thrown between 16 and 32 million people off insurance (including one million Illinoisans); raised individual market premiums 20 to 100 percent; undermined protections for people with pre-existing conditions; allowed insurers to refuse coverage of substance abuse, maternity, or mental health care; defunded Planned Parenthood; cut between $600 and $900 billion from the Medicaid program; and provided hundreds of billions in tax breaks to wealthy individuals and big businesses.