Tammy Baldwin: “I rise this evening to join my colleagues--Democrats, Independents--to fight together to protect the health and economic…”

“I rise this evening to join my colleagues--Democrats, Independents--to fight together to protect the health and economic security of the American people. In 2012, when I was elected to the Senate, I can assure you that the people of Wisconsin did not send me here to take their health care away. We are barely into the second week of the new Congress, and the Republican establishment is already wielding its power to accomplish just one thing, making America sick again. The budget resolution that we are considering this week will repeal the Affordable Care Act, put insurance companies back in charge of people's health care, strip health care away from millions of Americans, and raise premiums. It will take us from affordable coverage to chaos. This is the first step toward higher costs, fewer people with health insurance, and more uncertainty for American families. In short, the Republicans believe they have a mandate to make America sick. By repealing the law and taking away the health care that families already have, Republicans are forcing 30 million Americans to lose their insurance. Republicans are putting the health care coverage of over 200,000 Wisconsinites at risk, and they are raising taxes on more than 190,000 Wisconsinites who rely on and receive premium tax credits to help them afford high quality health insurance.…”