Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Health and Human Services Relating to
Floor Speech
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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague Senator Mark Warner and the entire Senate Democratic caucus to force a vote on his resolution to protect Americans with preexisting health conditions and stop the Trump administration from using American taxpayer dollars to promote junk insurance plans that don't even have to cover people who have preexisting health conditions.
The difference between the two sides of the aisle here is really clear. The Senate Republicans have worked with President Trump to pass repeal plans that would take people's healthcare away and allow insurance companies to charge more for people with preexisting health conditions.
When their effort failed legislatively, instead of working in a bipartisan way to lower healthcare costs for working families, President Trump and his administration spent 2 years working to sabotage our healthcare system. The Trump administration's sabotage has made it harder for people to sign up for quality, affordable coverage, and there are more Americans who are uninsured today than when President Trump took office.
The Trump administration is even in court to support a lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act completely, which will take away guaranteed health protections and raise costs for Americans with preexisting health conditions. If they succeed, insurance companies will again be able to deny coverage or charge higher premiums for nearly 130 million Americans who have preexisting health conditions.
Meanwhile, this administration has expanded what we call junk insurance plans. These are plans that can deny coverage to people with preexisting health conditions and don't have to cover essential services like prescription drugs, emergency room visits, and maternity care.
I ask my friends on the other side of the aisle to think about this for a moment. President Trump supports overturning the law that provides protections for people with preexisting health conditions while he expands these junk plans that don't provide those protections. This is what the Senate Republicans support. This is their plan.
Last year, we forced a vote on my legislation to block President Trump's expansion of junk insurance plans that don't have to cover people with preexisting health conditions. The final vote tally was 50 to 50, with the entire Senate Democratic Caucus and one Senate Republican voting in support of my legislation. Those who say they support healthcare coverage for people with preexisting health conditions should support the No Junk Plans Act. Today, I want to take another vote.
1556 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, obviously, I am disappointed with the objection.
I would point out that these junk plans are often called short-term plans, but the change that was made by this administration was to go from a 3-month sort of transition plan that, as my colleague indicates, could be used when one changes employment or other short-term use, and now they are available and renewable for up to 3 years. These plans do not preserve the protections under the Affordable Care Act to cover people with preexisting health conditions and essential health benefits.
You don't have to take my word for it. We can read directly from the fine print on the actual plans that are being debated.
One of these junk plans from Companion Life, which is currently available in my home State of Wisconsin, reads: ``This plan has a pre- existing limitation provision that may prevent coverage from applying to medical conditions that existed prior to this plan effective date.''
Another junk plan from Golden Rule says that the plan doesn't comply with the guaranteed essential benefits provided by the Affordable Care Act.
To quote directly from the plan, the description reads: ``Even if you have had prior Golden Rule coverage and your preexisting conditions were covered under that plan, they will not be covered under this plan.''
It is abundantly clear that these plans don't cover protections for people with preexisting conditions.
The people of Wisconsin did not send me to Washington to take away people's healthcare. I want to protect the guaranteed healthcare coverage that millions of Americans depend on. I want to help more families get the quality, affordable healthcare they need. Unanimous Consent Request--S. 1905
Despite the sabotage that I have described from this administration against the Affordable Care Act, in Wisconsin this year, things are getting better with the new Governor. Thanks to strong leadership from Governor Evers and the investments his administration is making, Wisconsinites will have more choices and more affordable rates for quality health insurance plans this year. Wisconsinites in every corner of the State will be able to find healthcare plans this year that include essential benefits like prescription drug coverage, maternity care, emergency room visits, and mental healthcare at more affordable prices.
Governor Evers is providing funding for more health insurance navigators and is conducting awareness campaigns in the State so that families in Wisconsin will have the information they need to sign up for quality and comprehensive healthcare plans. That is why enrollment navigators are so important. We need to keep up the funding for navigator programs so that more people can find affordable healthcare plans that meet their needs. Navigators help millions of Americans, including those in rural communities, sign up for quality healthcare coverage.
The Governor of Wisconsin understands the importance of navigators, but Washington has failed to step up. Unfortunately, since President Trump took office, his administration has slashed Federal funding for the navigator program by 84 percent. Trusted navigator programs, like those in Wisconsin, have had their funding cut by nearly 75 percent since 2017, meaning fewer people in Wisconsin have received the support they need to obtain affordable coverage.
That is why I introduced the ENROLL Act this year with my good friend from Pennsylvania, Senator Casey. This bill restores funding for the navigator program and helps to ensure that Americans have better access to the affordable healthcare coverage that they need and want. The ENROLL Act passed the House of Representatives earlier this year. We should also pass it in the Senate so that Americans can more easily enroll in quality healthcare coverage.
1905 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
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Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I am disappointed to see my Republican colleague again object to the legislation that will help more Americans access quality, private health insurance, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program. This is especially harmful to families in rural communities who already lack access to in-person assistance for shopping and enrolling in quality, affordable health insurance coverage.
So let me lay plain for everyone what we are seeing here from the Republicans and this administration.
Today, the Republicans objected to passing my ENROLL Act, which would provide funding for healthcare enrollment assistance to help people find high-quality, affordable plans that would actually meet their healthcare needs.
Today, the Republicans objected to passing my legislation to stop the expansion of junk insurance plans that don't even have to cover people with preexisting health conditions.
The Republicans are working to make it harder for one to sign up for high-quality, affordable healthcare.
This administration is encouraging Americans to buy junk insurance plans that don't provide the health coverage that they need and that can deny coverage to people who have preexisting health conditions.
Finally, the Republicans and the Trump administration are supporting a lawsuit that would overturn the entire Affordable Care Act and take healthcare away from literally millions of American families.
The choice for the American people could not be clearer. I am working with my Democratic colleagues to help make things better for the American people. Sadly, the Senate Republicans are helping the Trump administration make things worse. I will not give up this fight.
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