Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act
Floor Speech
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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am well aware that there are serious disagreements between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to women's health, but I would hope that despite our disagreements, they would at least allow us to vote on the important amendment I have offered to strike the harmful language defunding Planned Parenthood in this legislation and replace it with a new fund to support women's health care and clinic safety for staff and patients. Unfortunately, apparently my Republican colleagues are going to choose instead to just simply push this amendment aside and everything with it that we are doing for women and families.
Well, Planned Parenthood doctors and staff are not going to be pushed aside, even by the terrible violence we have seen all too often at women's health clinics. They are keeping their doors open. And the women and families who rely on these centers for their care and who believe women should be able to make their own choices aren't letting the political attacks we have seen today get in their way. They are standing up for what they believe.
While Republicans may want to avoid taking this tough vote, Democrats are going to keep making it very clear exactly where we stand: with Planned Parenthood and with women across the country.
I urge my colleagues to vote against the tabling amendment.
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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, over the last several years our country has taken some important steps forward when it comes to health care. More than 16 million people have gained the peace of mind and security that comes with having health care coverage. Tens of millions of people with preexisting conditions no longer have to worry about insurance companies turning them away. Young adults in our country are able to stay covered under their parents' insurance as they start out in life. And there is so much more. But, as I have said many times, the work did not end when the Affordable Care Act passed--far from it. I am ready to continue working with anyone who has good ideas about how to continue making health care more affordable, expand coverage, and improve quality of care.
Unfortunately, with this latest tired political effort to dismantle critical health care reforms, my Republican colleagues are once again making it clear that they want to take our health care system back to the bad old days. This is a major substitute amendment that my Republican colleagues just offered. It is yet another effort to pander to the extreme political base rather than working with us to strengthen health care for our families.
Even the Parliamentarian agreed with us today that repealing these important premium stabilization programs does not have a sufficient budget impact and is subject to the Byrd rule.
So I am raising a point of order today to strike section 105(b) from the amendment, which repeals the risk corridor program. It is a vital program to make sure premiums are affordable and stable for our working families. Repealing it would result in increased premiums, more uninsured, and less competition in the market.
This amendment represents a step forward for our health care system, not backward. I hope Republicans will drop the politics and join us in supporting it.
Mr. President, I raise a point of order that section 105(b) of the pending amendment violates section 313(b)(1)(D) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, we are about to have a voice vote on the substitute amendment, and I would not object to a voice vote, since I know we have all been here a long time, but I would just like to point out to everyone that the substitute amendment is a major bill that has just been introduced that we are now voting on. I assume everyone has read every word of it.
We have been debating 20 hours and just got a major amendment a few hours ago that doubles down on all of the deep and harmful bill that is in front of us, and it is really objectionable to those on our side that after 20 hours of debate on a number of amendments we get a major substitute amendment that we are voting on.
I would not object to it being a voice vote, but I urge my colleagues to vote no.
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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, as I have said before, I am very proud of the progress we have made over the last few years toward a health care system that actually works for our families and puts their needs first.
Today more than 16 million people have gained the peace of mind and security that comes with health care coverage. Tens of millions of people with preexisting conditions no longer have to worry about insurance companies turning them away, and young adults in this country are able to stay covered as they start out their lives, but the work didn't end when the Affordable Care Act was passed--far from it.
So I am ready, and I know our colleagues on this side of the aisle are also, to work with anyone who has good ideas about how we continue making health care more affordable, expanding coverage, and improving the quality of care.
The legislation we have now spent the last few days debating, which has no chance for becoming law, will do the exact opposite. This will undo the progress we have made. It is not what our families and communities want.
I hope that once this partisan bill reaches the dead-end it has always been headed for, Republicans will finally drop the politics and work with us to deliver results for the families and communities we serve.
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