Washington, D.C. — Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, released the below statement following a vote in the U.S. Senate on a motion to proceed, opening up hours of debate on multiple versions of the health care bill—some of which have yet to be revealed to the public:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and President Donald Trump are spearheading one of the most secretive and damaging processes in Senate history in an unprecedented power grab that will cost American lives. Make no mistake—a vote on today’s motion to proceed is a vote to rip health care coverage from millions of Americans, cause premiums to skyrocket, and send the health insurance markets into chaos—all to give tax breaks to the wealthy, insurance companies, and drug companies.
Now we hear that congressional Republican leaders plan to force through a mystery bill that the American public has not seen, the Senate has not read, and the Congressional Budget Office has not scored—yet it will be forced upon American families. What we do know about this bill is that it will cause 15 million people to lose their coverage and increase premiums by 20 percent.
If a bill is passed, the opportunity to stop this immoral monstrosity is over. The American people demand their elected leaders stop this sham and start looking to improve people’s health care rather than destroy it.
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