Heidi Alexander: “if I could ask a question, through the Chair, to the Senator from Washington. In my conversations with President Trump…”

“if I could ask a question, through the Chair, to the Senator from Washington. In my conversations with President Trump, he has made it clear--and several of my colleagues have made it clear on the Republican side-- that they don't want to bail out insurance companies. What I responded is that I 100-percent agree. I have already said this to the President, but I think it is important for our colleagues to know that probably the most heated debate Senator Murray and I had was not over whether we agreed with that but on how to actually do it in the most effective, strongest, toughest way possible. So I wish to emphasize the point that these payments are designed to help low-income Americans pay their copays and deductibles. We have in our agreement about a page and a half of language that requires every State to make sure the benefits of those payments go to the consumers in 2018 and not to the insurance companies. I wish to ask Senator Murray if she sees any disagreement at all between her and me, and most of our colleagues on that side of the aisle and over here, about whether we want to bail out insurance companies or whether we would be willing to consider any effective language that would improve our own language.”