[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 8, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REPUBLICAN HEALTHCARE BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, just before the election, CNN ran an 
article with the following headline. This is CNN: ``Is ObamaCare really 
affordable?'' Answer: ``Not for the middle class.'' It was true then, 
it is true now, and it will continue to get worse unless ObamaCare is 
repealed and replaced.
  In places like my home State of Kentucky, relief cannot come soon 
enough. Because of ObamaCare, premiums in Kentucky shot up by as much 
as 47 percent this year. Almost half of the counties in Kentucky have 
only one option for insurance providers on the ObamaCare exchange. 
Families are losing their doctors and are being forced into junk plans. 
The list of broken promises goes on and on.
  I have said it before; I will say it again: The status quo is 
unsustainable. We cannot sit on our hands and do nothing. We must act 
before the market collapses.
  Americans have repeatedly demanded the repeal of ObamaCare, and 
Republicans are fulfilling our promise to do just that. The bill 
unveiled in the House this week represents an important step toward 
that pledge. It will bring much needed relief to families and small 
businesses. It will give Americans more control over their own 
healthcare choices. It will help stabilize the marketplace. And just 
yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price sent a 
letter expressing the administration's support for it. Here is what he 
said: ``These proposals offer patient-centered solutions that will 
provide all Americans with access to affordable, quality, healthcare,'' 
he wrote. They will also ``promote innovation, and offer peace of mind 
for those with pre-existing conditions,'' he said.
  In the coming weeks, committees in the House will publicly debate 
this bill. I hope Members will take the time to consider the bill and 
continue to ask questions.
  Once we receive the bill from the House, the Senate will act because 
here is what we know: ObamaCare is a direct attack on the middle class. 
It will continue to get worse unless we act to repeal and replace it, 
and we are determined to keep our promise to the American people to do 
just that.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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