Van Hollen: Americans Deserve Better than Health Care Repeal

Statement

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement opposing the Republican effort to repeal the health care reform legislation:

"Today, Republicans in the House passed legislation -- which will not pass the Senate and would be vetoed by the President -- to repeal the health care reform law that was passed last year. According to the independent, non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, repeal will add $230 billion to the deficit over the next decade and more than $1 trillion over two decades. Repeal will also strip health care coverage from 32 million Americans, and for those who have health insurance, will increase costs and decrease benefits. And, at a time when we need to be focused on the economy, it will not create a single job.

"House Republicans did all this without a single hearing to allow Americans, who have been helped by the important new patient protections, to be heard. Instead, this repeal legislation will put the needs of corporate special interests over our constituents, patients, and consumers. I was proud to join my colleagues in opposition of this repeal legislation -- the American people deserve better than to be turned back to the whims and abuses of the insurance industry."

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