Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I rise with my Joint Economic Committee Democratic colleagues to address the terrible effects that the Republican budget will have on this country's health. I listened with rapt astonishment to Speaker Ryan's recitation of the percentage increases in the premium costs for insurance, for insurers on the Obama exchanges. But the Speaker omitted important facts. Number one, more than 80 percent of ObamaCare customers get subsidies to help them pay the cost of these premiums. They do not pay the full cost and will not feel the brunt of these increases. Number two, these increases are uneven. Yes, Arizona is up, but Rhode Island will decrease 14 percent. The Speaker cherry-picked the highest ones, omitting the overall increase. But most importantly, number three, most people are unaffected because most people get their insurance through their employer, Medicare, Medicaid, or the VA. Only a small fraction of Americans actually buy insurance on the individual market. Premiums, for the average single person through the employer market last year, were exactly the same as those for families; only up 3 percent. As an employer myself who offers health insurance to more than 300 people, and someone who is very concerned about the debt, my great concern is that the Republicans seem willing to throw out our total commitment to managing our debt for this repeal.…”