On the recordJuly 13, 2017
I am honored to be here today with Senator Heitkamp, from North Dakota--my friend from across the border, the prairies--and also Senator Shaheen, from the Granite State. I don't think it is a coincidence that the three of us are here today. We have worked on a number of bipartisan issues over the years. As I was sitting here, I was remembering when Senator Collins stood during the government shutdown and asked for people who would be interested in working with her on a bipartisan plan to get ourselves out of that mess. And all three of us were involved in that effort, which was, I note, half women in the group. I think it is time to do that again when it comes to healthcare. I appreciated it when last week Senator McConnell said it may be time to work to strengthen the exchanges and to work across the aisle. Like Senator Shaheen, I didn't see it as a last option, I saw it as a first option. I certainly appreciate the work my colleagues have done to propose some smart ideas that could help us improve the Affordable Care Act, including the Marketplace Certainty Act. When I talked with our small businesses and our citizens in Minnesota, they want that kind of certainty to help with cost sharing. The idea of doing something more with reinsurance, which we just passed on a State basis in Minnesota with a Republican legislature and a Democratic Governor--we are awaiting a waiver from Health and Human Services here in Washington.…
