Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Labor, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Relating to ``Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance''

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I come to the floor to support Senator Baldwin's resolution to overturn President Trump's junk plans rule.

Since day one, President Trump has been relentless in his efforts to sabotage healthcare for people in our Nation. He has worked to drive up the costs, given power back to big insurance companies, and despite his recent campaign promise to fight for people with preexisting conditions, almost every single step he has taken has been in the opposite direction.

President Trump's awful junk plan rule, which went into effect last week, is the latest example. His decision to expand junk insurance plans actually gives insurance companies more power to sell plans that ignore protections for people with preexisting conditions. It gives insurance companies more power to discriminate based on age or on sex. It gives insurance companies even more power to avoid covering important medical needs like emergency care, mental health care, prescription drugs, or even maternity care. This rule also lets insurance companies spend less money on patients directly and more money on excessive administrative costs and executive bonuses. This new rule shows how empty President Trump's promises are when it comes to preexisting conditions.

It is not just President Trump. A lot of Republicans are claiming to stand for protections for preexisting conditions. However, when you compare how Democrats are fighting for these protections and how some Republicans are undermining them, the difference is as clear as night and day.

When President Trump tried to pass his TrumpCare bill and undermine preexisting condition protection, Democrats stood with families across the country and fought tirelessly to stop that awful bill. However, most of our Republican colleagues championed it. When President Trump's Justice Department chose to abandon these protections in court against the Republican-led lawsuit to strike them down, Democrats rallied around the bill to let the Senate join the lawsuit and defend protections for preexisting conditions. Not a single Republican joined in that effort. Now President Trump is undermining these protections through the junk plan rule, and Democrats are again on the floor leading the charge against him with the resolution that is before us today.

Where are those Republican colleagues who have claimed to care so much about this issue but have done so little to fight for it? So far they have offered empty promises and even gimmicks, like a bill they claim protects people with preexisting conditions but actually allows insurance companies to discriminate based on age and sex.

If Republicans are serious about standing up for people with preexisting conditions, they will join us to pass this bill and fight for them. I am not holding my breath, but I am not giving up. Democrats are going to keep fighting for people across the country, for people with preexisting conditions. We are going to keep fighting for cancer patients and survivors, people living with diabetes and arthritis and other chronic diseases, and we are going to keep fighting for women who are pregnant or seniors who are facing the challenges of old age and for so many other families who might not be able to get the care they need without these important protections for people with preexisting conditions.

Finally, I thank Ms. Baldwin for her leadership on this very important effort. I know this fight is personal for her, like it is for so many families across the country. I am grateful for her leading the charge.

Thank you.
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