On the recordMarch 25, 2010
our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have confused some statements made by the President and made by me regarding whether the new health law will cause premiums to go down. The President has spoken forcefully about the impact of the new reform law on health insurance premiums. He has contrasted the effect of reform with the effect of doing nothing. He made it clear that if we passed a reform bill, premiums would go down compared to the status quo of not enacting a reform law. A couple of weeks ago, I said on the Senate floor that no one claims premiums will go down tomorrow when we pass this legislation. I was speaking in absolute terms. Premiums have been rising at a high and unsustainable rate. With these reforms, premiums will rise more slowly. The President and I were saying the same thing, using different words. The point is the same. With this new law, American families and businesses can have hope that their premiums will not rise as fast as they have been in the past.
