On the recordJuly 24, 2017
there aren't many votes like this in a Senator's career so let's just lay this out. If you support the vote tomorrow, the following are some of the specific consequences that could follow and in many cases would follow. First, it is a vote that would open debate on bills that would undermine protections for people with preexisting conditions. This could happen in one of two ways. This vote could open debate on the potential Cruz amendment, which would allow insurance companies, as long as they offer ACA-compliant plans on the exchanges, to also sell bare-bones, skimpy plans outside of the exchanges, with almost no consumer protections. Under this amendment, insurers would be allowed to deny coverage and charge higher rates to women, older adults, and individuals with preexisting conditions. To my Republican colleagues, I ask: Do you know someone who is pregnant? Do you know someone who has diabetes? Asthma? Depression? Cancer? Multiple sclerosis? Substance use disorders? Arthritis? Dementia? Sleep apnea? Parkinson's? All of these people could be denied coverage under the Cruz amendment, just as they were prior to the ACA. The Cruz amendment will also bring back annual and lifetime limits, coverage exclusions, and more. When I was campaigning in 2008, and I would go around Minnesota-- cafes, VFW halls, bars--there would be a flyer up for a family who had gone bankrupt for someone who had gotten sick.…
