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[Page S5076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MORNING BUSINESS
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the
Senate will be in morning business, with Senators permitted to speak
therein for up to 10 minutes each.
The Senator from Washington.
Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I come to the floor today to sound once
again the alarm against Republicans' efforts to throw the lives of
millions of families into chaos and uncertainty and to urge my
colleagues to reverse course and join Democrats to protect people's
healthcare before it is too late.
A few weeks ago, President Trump and Republican attorneys general
argued in court to create a healthcare crisis for families in our
country. If Republicans win their blatantly partisan lawsuit, the
consequences could be sweeping and devastating. Tens of millions of
people who have healthcare coverage through Medicaid Expansion or the
exchanges could lose it, as could many young adults who are on their
parents' insurance.
Over 100 million people with preexisting conditions could lose
protections that stop insurance companies from charging them more,
excluding benefits they need or denying them coverage entirely.
Patients could lose protections that require insurers to cover
essential health benefits like prescription drug costs, maternity care,
emergency care, or mental healthcare and more. Limits on how much
patients have to pay out of pocket could go away, while lifetime and
annual caps on patients' benefits could come back even to those insured
through their employers.
Republicans have refused to acknowledge what is actually at stake now
for the patients and families whose health they are putting at risk,
and they have made it all too clear that despite the horrible
consequences they are setting up, despite the lives they are throwing
needlessly into jeopardy, Republicans are going to go full steam ahead
with this reckless lawsuit to strike down healthcare for millions and
without any plan to do anything if they win.
Some Republicans have tried to dodge this fact by saying they will
figure it out after they win. That is an incredibly telling and
incredibly alarming position. It is about as comforting as an arsonist
telling you he will rebuild your house after he burns it down.
Let's be clear. Republicans have no plans for the patients who lose
their coverage, no plans for the families who will see their healthcare
costs go up, and no plans for people nationwide who rely on these
protections for preexisting conditions that could be taken away. They
have no plan for all the people who will be hurt by the damage they are
fighting to cause, and families expect better. They deserve better.
This is not rocket science. People want us to protect their
healthcare, not take it away. They want us to bring healthcare costs
down, not send them certainly higher. They want us to fight for them,
not against them.
Republicans have made the wrong choice time and again. So I call on
my Republican colleagues to stop this chaos and work with us. Let's
fight for patients before it is too late. The clock is ticking, and
patients and families are watching closely. If Republicans in the Trump
administration refuse to end this partisan lawsuit, families and
patients will be the ones who suffer the consequences, and they will
not forget the Republicans who stood by and cheered and let it happen.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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