Press Release
“Millions of people are going to lose protections they now have and insurance companies are going to be put back in charge if this were to become law. But Republicans know this isn’t going to become law – it’s not going to pass the Senate and the President’s not going to sign it. So once again we are spending time… doing things for political purposes, not for policy purposes, and not addressing the creation of jobs which is our number one priority.”
“The Republican party continues to pursue its message and not substance. This is the 31st time we've voted on repealing the health care bill and it's the 31st time that it will fail. Everybody knows that the President is committed to it – he’s not going to sign that bill if it passes; but they also know the Senate is not going to pass that bill. It's about politics and not policy. Very frankly, if it passed and if it became law, literally millions of millions of Americans would lose benefits they already have - young people would be kicked off their family's insurance policy; pre-existing conditions would now be used by the insurance company to keep children from getting health care insurance; seniors in the ‘donut hole’ would be again placed in a position where they may not be able to afford prescription drugs they need to keep their life healthy.
I commend the President for standing up for middle-class families by calling for Congress to act swiftly in extending the middle-class tax cut. This is an area where Democrats and Republicans ought to be working together. Instead, Republicans have held hostage the prospect of continuing a lower tax rate for middle-class families in return for tax cuts for the wealthy.
"With the private sector continuing to create jobs for the twenty-eighth consecutive month, our economic recovery continues to push forward. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report released this morning, private businesses added 84,000 jobs in June. However, this is still fewer jobs than we have recently seen created each month, and it is nowhere near where we need to be if we are to ensure quality, well paying jobs for all Americans who seek them.
“I commend the Obama Administration for continuing to take a strong approach to enforcing trade rules in response to the unfair import duties China placed on American autos. When American products compete on a level playing field, we win – and our workers win. China is not playing by World Trade Organization rules, and today’s announcement is part of a continuing effort by the President and Congressional Democrats to ensure a level playing field for American workers and manufacturers.
“Today the House passed a conference report that will give certainty to millions of students and that will pave the way for jobs and economic growth. This should have been done weeks ago, but instead Republicans took us to the brink of seeing the highway bill expire and student loan interest rates double.
“We thought the bill was constitutional. The Supreme Court has said it’s constitutional. It's within our powers and we think the American public can be more secure today than they were yesterday with the assurance that they're going to have access to affordable, quality health care.”
“The fact of the matter is what the Supreme Court said today was the health care bill is constitutional. And therefore, Americans are going to have greater confidence that they're going to have access to affordable quality health care. Seniors are going to have prescription drugs they can afford, 26-year-olds or up to 26 will have insurance that they can rely on through their family if they're not employed and have their own insurance, [there] won't be lifetime caps on policies, and … insurance companies won't be in charge of [Americas’] right to get insurance, notwithstanding a pre-existing condition.”
Our highest court has weighed in, and its decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a victory for all Americans who have ever worried about being able to access or afford the care they need. Democrats are proud to have worked hard to pass this landmark legislation in 2010 and of our efforts to make sure it is implemented in a way that continues to yield new benefits for patients, employers, and care providers.
“I am disappointed that tonight, House Republicans rejected the Senate’s bipartisan transportation bill —despite still lacking a long-term plan of their own. It has been over 100 days since the Senate passed a bipartisan transportation bill, one that continues the long, bipartisan tradition of the parties working together on this legislation. The Senate approved the bipartisan transportation bill by a strong vote of 74-22, with 22 Senate Republicans crossing the aisle to support it. It has been promoted by Chambers of Commerce in cities and counties across America, and highway safety advocates have hailed its new provisions to reduce deaths and injuries on our roads. The Senate bill also expedites transportation projects without undermining our clean air laws or legislating on unrelated energy and air quality matters to the detriment of our environment. Furthermore, it leverages federal funding to protect nearly two million jobs and create a million more.