Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today opposed the Republican health bill that increases out-of-pocket costs for middle-class families and strips healthcare from tens of millions who received coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

In addition to hiking co-pays and deductibles for middle-class families, the Republican bill gives a $7 million tax break to each of the 400 wealthiest American households, guts benefits and protections for seniors, defunds Planned Parenthood and cuts funding for Medicaid by more than $370 billion. This would force states to assume massive costs, or else begin rationing healthcare for 63 million children, seniors and people with disabilities.

“Since coming to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to find commonsense fixes to our nation’s healthcare laws. We should build upon the reforms we’ve already made to expand coverage and reduce costs. But what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have put forward would make working families, seniors, children and people with disabilities foot the bill for their poorly conceived experiment,” DelBene said. “Instead of making smart reforms to ensure all Americans have access to affordable health coverage, Republicans are forcing people to pay more for less. This certainly isn’t ‘insurance for everybody,’ as the President promised.”

Democrats, including DelBene, spent hours offering amendments to lower prescription drug costs, reduce the tax burden on the middle class, protect Medicare solvency, help small businesses provide healthcare, improve care in rural communities and guard Planned Parenthood’s funding. Republicans blocked these efforts.

Here is a list of the amendments DelBene pushed and video of her statements:

• Expanding the Small Business Tax Credit: VIDEO
• Restoring funding for Planned Parenthood: VIDEO
• Preserving Medicare: VIDEO
• Protecting Seniors’ Healthcare: VIDEO
• Enabling States to Opt Out of GOP Healthcare Bill: VIDEO
• Protecting Rural Healthcare: VIDEO
• Repealing the Cadillac Tax: VIDEO
• Defending Women’s Access to Healthcare: VIDEO

Summaries of both sections of the Republican bill can be found HERE and HERE. Over Democrats’ objections, the House Ways and Means Committee reported out the measure by a 23-16 vote. It now heads to the House Budget Committee, of which DelBene is also a member.

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