[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 34 (Monday, February 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1421-S1422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Affordable Care Act

  Now for the ACA, Mr. President. This past week, Republicans across 
the country in both Chambers were greeted in townhalls by angry 
constituents who waited in long lines and packed high school gyms, 
auditoriums, and community centers wall to wall to question their 
Republican representatives about their plan to repeal the Affordable 
Care Act.
  Americans are speaking loudly and clearly that their jobs, their 
hospitals--particularly rural hospitals--and their health care is on 
the line and want to know how Republicans plan to replace the law. On 
Friday, we saw the outline of the Republican plan. Like every single 
draft plan that Republicans have come up with, the outline we saw on 
Friday would raise costs and provide fewer benefits to average 
Americans and put the insurance companies back in the driver's seat. 
Average Americans under this Republican plan will get less, and they 
will pay more.
  Today, President Trump is meeting with the insurance companies about 
this plan. What happened to the President we saw on the campaign trail 
railing against the special interests? It

[[Page S1422]]

turns out that the special interests are getting their way at the 
expense of working Americans--less coverage, higher premiums, fewer 
sick people insured.
  My Republican friends listened to the outcry from their constituents: 
Don't repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a threadbare 
health insurance plan that puts insurance companies back in charge. 
Keep the law and work with Democrats on reasonable fixes.