[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 153 (Monday, September 25, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S5875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Healthcare

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, before I begin on the nomination before 
us, I wish to first echo what so many of my colleagues--Democrats and 
Republicans--and millions of people across the country have made very 
clear today: enough with all of the partisanship around healthcare, 
enough with playing politics with people's lives, and enough with the 
repeated attempts to roll back all of our progress and move our country 
backward.
  It is time that we drop Graham-Cassidy, drop TrumpCare, once and for 
all, and join together to actually work to improve healthcare, starting 
with acting right now to lower premiums for families and strengthen 
healthcare in a bipartisan way.
  That has been my message to colleagues all along. The truth is that I 
know many of my Republican colleagues prefer a bipartisan route. They 
have said as much in the last TrumpCare debate, in the very productive 
discussions we have had in and outside of the HELP Committee, and in 
many of their comments over the past few days.
  It begs this question: Why are we in this spot yet again?
  People across the country have been demanding for months to turn the 
page on TrumpCare. Instead of working in a bipartisan way to actually 
help people, a few of our colleagues have now pushed through yet 
another reckless repeal bill that is even worse than the previous 
TrumpCare version. It is a bill that will increase costs for families, 
especially seniors and people with preexisting conditions.
  It will allow insurance companies once again to charge people more 
for basic healthcare, such as maternity care, mental health services, 
and more, and it will take away women's access to care at health 
centers like Planned Parenthood and result in millions of people across 
the country losing their Medicaid. Just like last time, the bill has 
not been subject to any real hearings, public debate, or even a 
complete and thorough CBO score.
  Let's be clear. This bill is not a new proposal. It is not serious 
policy. It is not regular order. It is yet another version of TrumpCare 
that would be devastating for people across the country.
  This is actually pretty simple because there is a clear alternative 
path before us. Let's do what my colleague, the senior Senator from 
Arizona, and so many others have so bravely called for once again and 
return to working together.
  As I have said, I wholeheartedly agree with my colleague from Arizona 
that the right way to get things done in the Senate--especially on an 
issue as important to families as their healthcare--is through regular 
order and finding common ground. That is why I am still at the table 
ready to keep working. I remain confident that we can reach a 
bipartisan agreement as soon as this latest partisan approach by 
Republican leaders is finally set aside.
  Mr. President, I come to the floor today on the nomination before us 
and to urge my colleagues to vote no on William Emanuel to be a Member 
of the National Labor Relations Board.
  On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to put workers first, 
but instead this administration has rolled back worker protections and 
prioritized corporate interests at the expense of our workers. It is 
critical today, more than ever, that the NLRB remain what it is 
supposed to be--independent and committed to protecting workers' rights 
to organize and to bargain collectively.
  I am deeply concerned that President Trump's nominee, Mr. Emanuel, 
will use his place on the Board to advocate for corporations and 
special interests. As a corporate lawyer fighting on the side of 
management, Mr. Emanuel has spent decades repeatedly undermining 
workers and their efforts to unionize.
  It is the core mission of the NLRB to encourage collective 
bargaining. Given his long anti-worker track record, I am afraid that 
workers' fundamental rights are not safe in his hands.
  I urge my colleagues to join me tonight in doing what President Trump 
has failed to do and to start working to put working families first and 
to vote against this nomination.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.