Orrin Hatch: “I rise to speak in support of my amendment No. 1144. This legislation is designed to do two things. It is important for…”

“I rise to speak in support of my amendment No. 1144. This legislation is designed to do two things. It is important for us to consider this. First, it would protect Medicaid for our Nation's most vulnerable citizens, namely, low-income children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Those are important vulnerable citizens, as far as I am concerned. In addition, it would strengthen Medicare in order to help protect health benefits for current and future beneficiaries. Make no mistake. Our Nation faces a growing entitlement crisis, and Medicare and Medicaid are at the heart of it. Under ObamaCare, Medicaid enrollment has increased by about 28 percent due to the expansion of the program in 32 States. Between 2014 and 2015 alone, expansion States received about $79 billion in Federal funds. The problem is that even before ObamaCare, Medicaid was plagued by quality issues, and States' hands were tied whenever they tried to advance innovative solutions to improve patient care. Of course, even before ObamaCare, Medicaid spending on both the Federal and State levels was growing at an astronomical rate. Contrary to popular myth, ObamaCare did not fix this. It made things worse.…”