Post by bot on Mar 26, 2017 15:58:52 GMT -5
Hoyer Remarks After Republicans Pulled Their TrumpCare Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) delivered remarks at a House Democratic leadership press conference this afternoon after Republican leadership pulled their TrumpCare bill. Below is a transcript of his remarks:
“This is a good day for the American people. We worked over years to assure that the American public would have access to affordable, quality healthcare. We went a long way towards that effort in 2010 when we adopted the Affordable Care Act. Much of the credit for passing that bill goes to then Speaker Pelosi, now Leader Pelosi. Who was indefatigable in her advocacy for assuring that every American would have the security of the availability of health insurance.
“This bill went down today, it went down today because the majority of the Representatives of the American people in the House of Representatives thought this was a bad bill. It went in the wrong direction. It left 24 million people behind, raised costs for [older Americans] between 50 and 64 very substantially. And everyone else would have paid more and gotten less insurance. In fact, it was made worse last night when the requirements for covering essential services was essentially gutted.
“But the American people are still going to rely on us to have that security and not abandon [the Affordable Care Act] or make efforts to destroy indirectly what we did not destroy directly today. That's our responsibility as Republicans, as Democrats, sent here by our people to try to make their lives better, to make sure they have jobs, make sure they have healthcare, and make sure they live in a safe country. We will not abandon that responsibility and trust that our Republican colleagues will not either.
“I am pleased to yield to my dear friend, the Assistant Leader of the Democratic Minority, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.”
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“…the President of the United States looked all of America in the eye and he did it through the lens, of course, of the TV camera, just a couple weeks ago, in what was his State of the Union. He said I’m going to give you the health insurance program that covers every American at lower cost and better quality. I hope he meant it. We cannot abandon that effort to make sure that every American has healthcare security at lower cost and better quality. That was our intent with the Affordable Care Act. We think we've come a long way in accomplishing that objective but we can do more and we ought to.”