Hoyer Discusses Republicans' ACA Repeal Bill on Press Conference Call

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Linda Sanchez (CA-38) and Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Cheri Bustos (IL-17) on a press call today to discuss House Republicans' bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would force Americans to pay more for less coverage and benefits. Below is a transcript of his remarks: 

“Well, thank you very much [Rep.] Cheri [Bustos] and thanks for the work that you’re doing on communications and making sure that the message gets out to the American people so they can take their views made to the Congress in an informed way.

“And thank you very much [Rep.] Linda [Sanchez] for your leadership of the Caucus and the work that you’re doing on the Ways and Means Committee to make sure that Americans continue to have the Affordable Care Act advantages.

“Trumpcare equals less care for millions, no care for millions more, and more expensive care for all Americans. And that’s a good phrase, but the facts will bear us out as we have this debate and as Americans see what Trumpcare means for them and for their families and for the cost of healthcare.

“It kicks millions of Americans off their insurance, it forces millions of Americans to pay more for less coverage, and [provides] tax breaks for the wealthiest in America. [House Republicans] raid the Medicare trust fund, threatening its long-term solvency, which was enhanced by the adoption of the Affordable Care Act. And it imposes severe cuts to Medicaid and requires states to ration care.

“So that when they talk about a ‘better way,’ they haven’t found it. When they talk about a ‘better way’, our response is look we have been prepared since we adopted this bill and signed into law in 2010 to work with Republicans to make it work better, to make sure that the security of having health insurance programs that work for every American and every family.

“Let me make an aside that the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which is the Republican objective, will disadvantage every American. I want to emphasize that. Every rural American, every suburban American, every urban American, every hospital and doctor in the United States. And when I say that, what I mean by that is it will drive up very substantially the cost of health care in America. I believe millions of Americans will be without the security of health insurance, and we’ll have a less healthy America. Now that’s not good policy, it’s not good vision for our country.

“President Trump said last week, last Tuesday, that he promised ‘insurance for everybody’ and that’s a quote, ‘much less expensive’ that’s a quote, and ‘much better,’ that’s a quote. He was wrong on all three instances and he has no bill to make a policy which has insurance for everybody and much less expensive and is much better generally. If he has it, he ought to put it on the table, but he’s been in office now not a real long time, but by the way [in that time] we adopted a major Recovery Act that kept us out of a depression in the first 30 days of the Obama Administration. They are now in their second 30 days, approaching the first 60 days of their Administration, and they put nothing on jobs, nothing on healthcare, and what they did put on the table has undermined our security. And I speak to the Muslim Ban.

“In any event, we’re going to make it very clear to the American people that [Republicans] have no plan on healthcare. They tried 65 times to repeal it and leave the American people without the security, if they get sick, that they need. It is what I call to the American people, ‘you are on your own,’ we’re not going to help, we’re retreating, states are on their own. That’s not good policy and it’s not good morality.

“Well hopefully the many, many Republicans who are speaking and saying they cannot support this, ironically some cannot support this because it doesn’t go far enough in leaving Americans on their own and others can’t support it because it goes too far in letting Americans down. So I am doubtful Republicans can get the majority of their people for this bill, if they can in the House, I don’t think they can in the Senate. And certainly, we Democrats are united in protecting American’s healthcare.

“Again Linda, thank you very much for including me on the call, and Rep. Cheri Bustos thank you very much for your leadership and for helping Americans to understand not only what’s proposed but what our position is in trying to protect them and their families.”

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“We believe there are a number of provisions that are included in this bill that are clearly violating of the Byrd rule. Now you know this is somewhat inside baseball, but the Byrd rule requires reconciliation and the key to reconciliation, and it only requires 51 Senators to vote for it, not 60 as is usually the case. But the Byrd rule says, as you point out, that you’ve got to have budget implications, it’s got to be related to budget issues. Now we believe there are a number of provisions in this bill, you mentioned a couple, that are non-budget related, but policy related that are precluded by the Byrd rule... Now it doesn’t matter in the House. As you know they can do anything in the House they want, once the Rules Committee says it’s in order, it’s in order. But I’m not sure, as I said, [Republicans have] 218 votes. I don’t expect them to have any Democrats supporting this. I think Americans are going to say, look, this doesn't work for us, this doesn't work for our country. While we want to see the ACA made better, we don’t want to see it’s protections go away. So I agree with you, this bill may well not be a vehicle they can use.”