06.28.17

Durbin Calls On Republicans To Work With Democrats To Improve, Not Destroy, Health Care System

WASHINGTON – After Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was forced to delay a vote on his catastrophic health care repeal bill, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) called on Senate Republicans to take the repeal option off the table and work with Democrats to improve America’s health care system. 

“I am glad that we've reached this point, that these proposals by House and Senate Republicans are not going to move forward quickly and become the law of the land. Too many people would be hurt, too many innocent people. Too many families would lose their health insurance. The cost of health insurance would go up dramatically… And certainly doing this in order to give a tax cut to the wealthy people in this country makes no sense,” said Durbin.

“Senator McConnell said there will be no conversations with Democrats; Republicans will do it by themselves. I hope over the 4th of July he reflects on that, because there are Democratic senators who in good faith want to sit down and make a better health care system for America, so that more people have the peace of mind and security of health insurance and so that it's more affordable for families all across the board.”

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor are available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

On Monday, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its analysis of Senate Republicans’ bill to repeal Americans’ health care, which estimated that 22 million people would lose coverage by 2026 and the Medicaid program would be slashed by $772 billion.