Political Quotes

“What is going on here? The Republicans are bringing up a totally partisan bill to thwart a bipartisan bill. They are tossing aside common ground for barren ground, another Affordable Care repeal vote. They are throwing out a historic bipartisan breakthrough to permanently end and replace the broken Medicare physician payment formula, once again turning to totally partisan politics. The breakthrough achieved by our committees would permanently replace the deeply flawed SGR formula with a system designed to build on delivery system reform, reforms that move Medicare physician payments toward a more accountable value-driven system. The underlying policy agreement is broadly supported by both provider communities and beneficiaries; but today's exercise is opposed by groups representing seniors, doctors, health plans, and others because it guts the Affordable Care Act through a 5-year delay to the individual mandate. What would the result be? According to CBO and the Joint Task Committee, the Republican bill would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 13 million. What is more, the bill would raise individual market health insurance premiums by 10 to 20 percent for those who remain insured. Last week, we saw the 50th vote. This is now the 51st vote to undermine the Affordable Care Act. So much for good faith and so much for good will.…”