On the recordOctober 18, 2017
yesterday the chairman and the ranking member of the HELP Committee came to a bipartisan agreement on a package to stabilize our healthcare law and to lower premiums. It was the product of months of difficult negotiations. Like all good negotiations, both sides gave some and both sides got some. The product is something that neither side is completely happy with but that both sides can move forward with. That is what a good, fair compromise looks like. It took work, and, at a time when bipartisanship is desperately sought after, this was not even just a flicker but a nice flame of bipartisanship burning brightly. Then, a few minutes ago, President Trump tweeted: I am supportive of Lamar as a person, and also of the process, but I can never support bailing out insurance companies who have made a fortune with ObamaCare. There are many reasons to be vehemently strongly upset about this tweet and how wrong it is. First, frankly, the President doesn't know what he is talking about in the compromise. It doesn't bail out insurance companies. It helps people who are sick and who need healthcare. It keeps their premiums low. It allows them to go to a doctor or get a medicine that they need. Senators Alexander and Murray made sure that, in the provisions they were writing, the money would not go to the insurance companies but rather would go to millions of Americans who need help because they couldn't afford healthcare on their own.…
