Hoyer Remarks at AcademyHealth National Health Policy Conference
Press Types
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
February 6, 2018
Contact Info:
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke at the AcademyHealth National Health Policy Conference this afternoon. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Good afternoon. I’m honored to be with you today for the eighteenth annual National Health Policy Conference.
“Never has your work in the field of health care policy, payment, and delivery been so consequential. With the enactment and implementation of the Affordable Care Act since 2010, we’ve experienced major transformations in health care coverage and access.
“And since Republicans took full control of the government last January, we’ve seen a concerted effort to undo those transformations in a way that has been deeply disruptive and sown dangerous uncertainty. So I want to thank you all for your perseverance through this time of upheaval.
“As we look ahead to 2018, I am reminded of the now infamous statement Donald Rumsfeld made in 2002 about the 'known knowns,' the 'known unknowns,' and the 'unknown unknowns.' When it comes to health care policies at the federal level, there are the known knowns: the predictable, the anticipated. Then there are the known unknowns: that is, the challenges we know we must address but that do not yet have resolution. And then there remain the 'unknown unknowns.' Those are the unexpected developments of the kind we’ve come to expect under the Trump Administration, when a single tweet could upend years of policy or inject uncertainty where previously there had been some measure of predictability.
“To that end, 2018 may bring unpleasant surprises in the realm of health care policy. We can, however, track the challenges and opportunities we face now and know to expect later.
“Ultimately, what America’s health care system needs is stability. So far, the Trump Administration has sown dangerous instability by sabotaging and undermining the affordable care act and, along with Republicans in Congress, delaying action on expired health care programs. They severely narrowed the window for enrollment and pursued policies that are driving insurers out of the marketplaces while causing premiums to go up. This Administration does not want the Affordable Care Act to succeed; it wishes for the law to fail – even if that means millions losing access to affordable coverage.
“Their continued attacks have to stop, and Congress needs to take action to stabilize the marketplace. Congress enacted a six-year reauthorization of CHIP when it voted to end the Trump shutdown last month. But this is a program that ought to be permanent.
“And that vote did not include funding for the community health centers where many children receive their primary health care, or numerous other programs and policies that support healthier kids and communities. What’s deeply disappointing is that this is happening even though Democrats and Republicans have agreed on policy. The holdup is politics, with Republicans dragging out the process of reauthorizing and funding these programs that expired last year because they believe it will help them gain democratic votes on their partisan bills. Republicans must stop holding Community Health Centers, Medicare extenders, and other health programs hostage to budget negotiations.
“Today, House Republicans are bringing to the Floor a partisan, short-term continuing resolution that funds community health centers while cutting the prevention fund and failing to reauthorize other vital programs, such as home nursing visits for at-risk new mothers and their babies. Republicans need to stop treating health programs like a basket of treats to dangle before Democrats as a way of trying to force us into giving them votes to kick the can on the many other major decisions before Congress. Moreover, the short-term patches that Republicans enacted have had the negative consequence of exacerbating uncertainty.
“As a result, teaching health centers are closing, and Community Health Centers are struggling to secure lines of credit and hire providers. Without funding certainty, these programs and facilities are finding it no easier to do their important work than if they had been shut down completely. That’s a major reason why House Democrats have insisted that we stop pursuing short-term patches and work together, across the aisle, to enact long-term reauthorizations and appropriations.
“The current budget impasse at the heart of the delay in reauthorizing these health care programs is a result of Republicans’ opposition to parity in raising the spending caps they created in 2011. For the past four years, Republicans and Democrats have reached agreements allowing for spending caps to go up equally for the defense and non-defense sides of the ledger.
“Speaker Ryan and Senator Murray were the authors of those agreements, first in 2013 and renewed in 2015. All Democrats are asking for is that we continue this principle of parity so we can fund domestic priorities, along with defense priorities – both are critical to our national security. Instead, Republicans continue trying to cut democrats out of what ought to be a bipartisan process and pass their own partisan bills without parity.
“Each time, they dangle reauthorization or funding for a critical health care program as incentive for Democrats to abandon our stand for long-term certainty and give them the votes for their partisan legislation.
“That is no way to stabilize our health care system. It is no way to govern. So Democrats will keep working to convince republicans to partner with us on long-term measures that boost certainty and stabilize the health care system.
“An old English proverb tells us: ‘when the head aches, all the body is the worse.’
“Unless we get our act together at the top – in Congress – we will continue to suffer the ill effects of poor leadership and a willful ignorance of the Majority’s responsibility to promote the certainty and stability our country and its health care system require.
“So thank you for all you’re doing as advocates, as providers, and as policy experts to promote the need for stability and help patients and care facilities navigate the uncertain environment. Congress owes it to the American people to adhere to the same standard, at the very least, that every physician must meet, and that is: ‘first, do no harm.’”
“As we look ahead to the remainder of 2018, that is Democrats’ starting point. We will fight to defend the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and against measures by this Administration and Congressional Republicans to destabilize the system.
“And we will continue, with your help, identifying ways to promote not only stability and certainty but also make positive investments that benefit health care access and affordability for all Americans. Thank you.”
“Good afternoon. I’m honored to be with you today for the eighteenth annual National Health Policy Conference.
“Never has your work in the field of health care policy, payment, and delivery been so consequential. With the enactment and implementation of the Affordable Care Act since 2010, we’ve experienced major transformations in health care coverage and access.
“And since Republicans took full control of the government last January, we’ve seen a concerted effort to undo those transformations in a way that has been deeply disruptive and sown dangerous uncertainty. So I want to thank you all for your perseverance through this time of upheaval.
“As we look ahead to 2018, I am reminded of the now infamous statement Donald Rumsfeld made in 2002 about the 'known knowns,' the 'known unknowns,' and the 'unknown unknowns.' When it comes to health care policies at the federal level, there are the known knowns: the predictable, the anticipated. Then there are the known unknowns: that is, the challenges we know we must address but that do not yet have resolution. And then there remain the 'unknown unknowns.' Those are the unexpected developments of the kind we’ve come to expect under the Trump Administration, when a single tweet could upend years of policy or inject uncertainty where previously there had been some measure of predictability.
“To that end, 2018 may bring unpleasant surprises in the realm of health care policy. We can, however, track the challenges and opportunities we face now and know to expect later.
“Ultimately, what America’s health care system needs is stability. So far, the Trump Administration has sown dangerous instability by sabotaging and undermining the affordable care act and, along with Republicans in Congress, delaying action on expired health care programs. They severely narrowed the window for enrollment and pursued policies that are driving insurers out of the marketplaces while causing premiums to go up. This Administration does not want the Affordable Care Act to succeed; it wishes for the law to fail – even if that means millions losing access to affordable coverage.
“Their continued attacks have to stop, and Congress needs to take action to stabilize the marketplace. Congress enacted a six-year reauthorization of CHIP when it voted to end the Trump shutdown last month. But this is a program that ought to be permanent.
“And that vote did not include funding for the community health centers where many children receive their primary health care, or numerous other programs and policies that support healthier kids and communities. What’s deeply disappointing is that this is happening even though Democrats and Republicans have agreed on policy. The holdup is politics, with Republicans dragging out the process of reauthorizing and funding these programs that expired last year because they believe it will help them gain democratic votes on their partisan bills. Republicans must stop holding Community Health Centers, Medicare extenders, and other health programs hostage to budget negotiations.
“Today, House Republicans are bringing to the Floor a partisan, short-term continuing resolution that funds community health centers while cutting the prevention fund and failing to reauthorize other vital programs, such as home nursing visits for at-risk new mothers and their babies. Republicans need to stop treating health programs like a basket of treats to dangle before Democrats as a way of trying to force us into giving them votes to kick the can on the many other major decisions before Congress. Moreover, the short-term patches that Republicans enacted have had the negative consequence of exacerbating uncertainty.
“As a result, teaching health centers are closing, and Community Health Centers are struggling to secure lines of credit and hire providers. Without funding certainty, these programs and facilities are finding it no easier to do their important work than if they had been shut down completely. That’s a major reason why House Democrats have insisted that we stop pursuing short-term patches and work together, across the aisle, to enact long-term reauthorizations and appropriations.
“The current budget impasse at the heart of the delay in reauthorizing these health care programs is a result of Republicans’ opposition to parity in raising the spending caps they created in 2011. For the past four years, Republicans and Democrats have reached agreements allowing for spending caps to go up equally for the defense and non-defense sides of the ledger.
“Speaker Ryan and Senator Murray were the authors of those agreements, first in 2013 and renewed in 2015. All Democrats are asking for is that we continue this principle of parity so we can fund domestic priorities, along with defense priorities – both are critical to our national security. Instead, Republicans continue trying to cut democrats out of what ought to be a bipartisan process and pass their own partisan bills without parity.
“Each time, they dangle reauthorization or funding for a critical health care program as incentive for Democrats to abandon our stand for long-term certainty and give them the votes for their partisan legislation.
“That is no way to stabilize our health care system. It is no way to govern. So Democrats will keep working to convince republicans to partner with us on long-term measures that boost certainty and stabilize the health care system.
“An old English proverb tells us: ‘when the head aches, all the body is the worse.’
“Unless we get our act together at the top – in Congress – we will continue to suffer the ill effects of poor leadership and a willful ignorance of the Majority’s responsibility to promote the certainty and stability our country and its health care system require.
“So thank you for all you’re doing as advocates, as providers, and as policy experts to promote the need for stability and help patients and care facilities navigate the uncertain environment. Congress owes it to the American people to adhere to the same standard, at the very least, that every physician must meet, and that is: ‘first, do no harm.’”
“As we look ahead to the remainder of 2018, that is Democrats’ starting point. We will fight to defend the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and against measures by this Administration and Congressional Republicans to destabilize the system.
“And we will continue, with your help, identifying ways to promote not only stability and certainty but also make positive investments that benefit health care access and affordability for all Americans. Thank you.”