Floor Statements

Mr. President, I, too, rise today to oppose the renomination of Ajit Pai to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. I will start my remarks by acknowledging my friend, the Senator from Hawaii, and echoing his sentiments about the respect I have for Chairman Pai's ability, his skill, his intelligence, his dedication, and commitment, but I, too, as a member of the Commerce Committee, have sat through testimony from Mr. Pai and watched a number of things unfold with regard to policy that is critically important to people of New Hampshire and our country. I find that I, too, am in a position of being unable to support this nomination.

The FCC plays a critical role in overseeing our communications networks, protecting consumers, and ensuring that our Nation's businesses can compete on a level playing field. Unfortunately, throughout his tenure at the FCC, and particularly during his time as Chairman, Mr. Pai has not demonstrated a commitment to those goals. To start, I have real concerns with the Chairman's actions to undermine net neutrality and the impact that would have on people in New Hampshire and throughout our country.

A free and open internet is essential to consumers, essential to entrepreneurs and innovative small businesses that are the foundation of our economic success. Net neutrality is the concept that internet service providers should provide equal access to applications and content online, and they should not be able to discriminate against content and content providers by making certain web pages, applications, or videos load faster or slower than others. Put simply, net neutrality ensures that even the smallest voices and businesses can be heard and can thrive. People and businesses in New Hampshire know this. Granite Staters have called and written to my office in support of net neutrality, and the FCC has received a recordbreaking number of public comments, reaching tens of millions, from people looking to make their voices heard on this topic.

Chairman Pai is not addressing the concerns of Americans who are speaking out. Instead, he is listening to big cable companies and internet service providers and taking direct aim at net neutrality protections. That is unacceptable. Protecting net neutrality is essential, but with Chairman Pai at the FCC, these critical rules are in danger.

I also oppose this nomination because Chairman Pai is putting rural broadband advancements at stake. Recently, Chairman Pai and the FCC released a notice of inquiry that raises questions about its goals, suggesting it will consider mobile broadband as an adequate replacement for fixed broadband, which would allow speeds that are two-thirds slower. For many parts of New Hampshire, mobile is not dependable enough or fast enough to meet our economy's needs, promote innovation, and connect young students with their homework. We must address the challenges that rural communities face in getting access to broadband. But by focusing instead on mobile broadband, the Chairman would have us leave rural America without a reliable connection.

Finally, I have concerns about Chairman Pai's ability to adequately evaluate the pending Sinclair-Tribune merger that sits before the FCC. For decades, our Nation has maintained a policy that limits the number of broadcast stations that one company can own nationwide. This policy has protected Americans by allowing them to receive robust and fair news content about their communities and has provided a diversity of voices in the broadcast news media marketplace.

This merger would result in Sinclair's ability to reach over 70 percent of Americans across our country, far exceeding the Commission's ownership caps and threatening the diversity in broadcast news that Americans deserve and expect.

Since Chairman Pai took the lead of the FCC, the Commission has worked to loosen regulations regarding media ownership, and, in turn, Sinclair benefited. As this proposed merger is still under consideration, we need someone at the helm of the FCC who will thoroughly vet the implications and ensure that it is in the public interest. There is too much at stake with this merger, and Chairman Pai's actions raise doubts that he can evaluate it impartially.

We need an FCC that is focused on putting consumers first and ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to thrive in the 21st century economy. There are simply too many concerns about Chairman Pai's record, his ability to express impartiality on key decisions, and his goals for Federal Communications Commission priorities. I will vote against Chairman Pai's renomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Thank you.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise today to oppose the latest disastrous iteration of TrumpCare, the Graham-Cassidy proposal.

It is disappointing that we are here once again. In July, Granite Staters breathed a sigh of relief when the Senate defeated a proposal that would have raised healthcare costs and stripped health insurance away from millions. When that bill failed, I was hopeful that we would move forward on a bipartisan process to make key improvements to the Affordable Care Act. That is exactly the process we have started on in the HELP Committee, focusing on bipartisan solutions to stabilize the health insurance market.

Now, in direct conflict to this important bipartisan work, some of our colleagues are making one last-ditch effort to pass partisan legislation. Make no mistake, Graham-Cassidy is more of the same, and it is every bit as dangerous as the TrumpCare plans we saw this summer, if not worse.

Granite Staters and all Americans should be concerned if this bill is rushed into law. My colleagues are moving so quickly to try to get this bill passed that the CBO says it will not be able to score it by September 30, but it is clear that this bill would make things worse for most Americans.

If you have a preexisting condition, including cancer, asthma, or diabetes, you could once again be discriminated against with higher costs that make health coverage unaffordable. This bill would end Medicaid expansion, a program that Democrats and Republicans in New Hampshire came together on to pass and reauthorize. Medicaid expansion has provided quality, affordable health insurance coverage to over 50,000 Granite Staters. Experts on the frontlines of New Hampshire's heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis say it is the one tool we have to combat this epidemic. Ending Medicaid expansion would pull the rug out from under those who need its coverage. It would put thousands of people at risk.

In addition, Graham-Cassidy would cut and cap the Medicaid Program. Those words, ``cut'' and ``cap,'' are really just code for massive cuts to the funding that States receive, including New Hampshire, losing hundreds of millions of dollars in Federal funding for Medicaid over the next decade. This cut would force States to choose between slashing benefits, reducing the number of people who can get care, or, in some cases, having to do both. It would impact some of our most vulnerable citizens--children, seniors who need in-home care or nursing home care, and people who experience disabilities.

Graham-Cassidy would allow States to get rid of important protections in current law--protections called essential health benefits, which make sure that all insurers cover things like maternity care, prescription drugs, and substance use disorder services.

Finally, this bill would continue Republican efforts to roll back women's access to healthcare by defunding Planned Parenthood, which provides critical primary and preventive healthcare services to thousands of New Hampshire women.

As we continue to debate the future of our Nation's healthcare system, we have to understand how things would actually play out on the ground for the people we are trying to serve. Over the course of this year, the people of New Hampshire have laid themselves bare and shared story after story of how they would be impacted by these dangerous attempts to roll back access to healthcare.

It is people like the Keene resident who has a preexisting condition and had health insurance through his job, but when he lost that job, he was able to start a new successful small business all because he knew he would be able to get quality health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. It is people such as the Granite Staters who experience disability but are able to live independently in their home and community as a result of the personal care services they receive through Medicaid and people like the mom from Rochester who is benefiting from substance use disorder services that are included in Medicaid expansion and would be taken away under this bill.

It really shouldn't be necessary for people to have to come forward and share their most personal stories, all in an attempt to get their elected representatives to work together in a bipartisan manner and not take coverage away. We actually should be able to do that in the U.S. Senate on our own.

Now, just as we are starting to work on a bipartisan basis, as our constituents asked us to do, the American people are faced with another harmful, partisan TrumpCare bill that will destabilize our healthcare system, drive up premiums, and make care less affordable.

We must come together to build on and improve the Affordable Care Act and ensure that every American has meaningful, truly affordable access to the type of care each of us would choose for our own family. We must reject this proposal and continue moving forward on the bipartisan path we have started on in the HELP Committee.

I am going to keep standing with my Democratic colleagues, and I urge the people of New Hampshire and all Americans to continue to speak out and to share their stories. Together, we will, once again, defeat this attempt to undermine the healthcare of millions of Americans, and we will make clear that in the United States of America, all of our people must be able to get quality, affordable care.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, this month, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Elizabeth Atwood, of Rochester, NH, as our Granite Stater of the Month for her contributions to her community as a capacity building specialist with SOS Recovery Community Organization, where she helps individuals who are struggling with substance misuse access recovery services and support networks.

As someone who struggled with substance misuse herself, Elizabeth has shown tremendous courage in telling her own story of accessing treatment and recovery services. At New Horizons homeless shelter, Elizabeth received help enrolling in Medicaid, allowing her to undergo treatment for substance use disorder, improve her physical health, and receive counseling. Through her perseverance and determination, Elizabeth regained custody of her son, gained employment, and now receives health insurance coverage through her employer.

Now working at SOS Recovery Community Organization, Elizabeth provides incredible value to her community, working tirelessly to help individuals struggling with substance use disorder. Elizabeth does everything from helping create policy and procedures and offering trainings to community members, to helping find detox beds for people who come into the Rochester facility.

As many Granite Staters like Elizabeth know, the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis is the most pressing public health and safety challenge facing New Hampshire. Now more than ever, New Hampshire needs more people like Elizabeth who are dedicated to helping combat this crisis. I am deeply grateful for the courage she has shown in telling her inspirational story and her drive to help others who face the same challenges she did. Elizabeth represents the best of New Hampshire, and I am honored to recognize her as our Granite Stater of the month.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and extend my sincerest congratulations and happy birthday wishes to Florence Nemphos. On August 17, 2017, Florence celebrated her 100th birthday.

Florence Nemphos was born in Saugus, MA, on August 17, 1917 to two loving parents, Annie LeBrun and Richard LeBlanc. Florence has been a resident of Seabrook, NH, for the past 34 years. Florence is known as an outstanding woman and a vital and active member of her tightknit community.

For over 40 years, Florence has dedicated part of every week to playing bingo at the American Legion of Seabrook and the Seabrook Fire Association with members of the Seabrook community that she calls her bingo buddies.

As Senator for New Hampshire, I would like to honor Florence on the occasion of her 100th birthday. I join with Florence's friends and family, as well as many, many people in her hometown of Seabrook and across the Granite State, in wishing her a very happy 100th birthday.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Gail Bates and not only wish her a happy birthday but also reflect on her years of service to the State of New Hampshire and our country.

Gail Bates was born Gail Oberlin in Cleveland, OH, on June 10, 1917 and received a degree from Vassar College in Italian and art history, then was awarded her master's in social work from Columbia University.

When the United States of America joined the Allies and went to war in 1941, Gail answered her country's call, serving in the American Red Cross from 1943 to 1945. She was stationed overseas to England with the Ninth Air Force, where she served with Red Cross Aero Clubs and worked long hours, supporting aircrews and soldiers from 6 AM to midnight As a member of the Aero Club, Gail worked to provide food, coffee, music, and other reminders of home to American soldiers stationed so far from our shores.

On D-Day, Gail first heard of the Allied landings in Normandy while eating breakfast in a London cafe. She would soon join the Allied armies in continental Europe, arriving in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, in July, where she hosted a party for the children of Sainte-Mere- Eglise, providing a brief respite from war for the first liberated town in France. Following Allied victories in eastern France and Belgium, Gail accompanied General George Patton and his Third Army into Germany and was one of only two women who served in the Red Cross Aero Club in Berlin.

After the war, while working at the American Alpine Association, Gail met and then married Bob Bates, an educator and mountaineer, and they traveled the world together. Both avid mountaineers, they traveled to many remote areas around the world, including the Andes, the Himalayas, and the Karakorum Range. In 1962, Bob was recruited by Sargent Shriver to be director of the first group of Peace Corps volunteers in Nepal, and Bob and Gail lived together in Kathmandu, where they made many lifelong friends and invited a young Nepali woman, Tsering Yangdon, who is now a member of their extended family, to study at the University of New Hampshire.

As much as the world called to them, however, Bob and Gail never lost their attachment to and love for their local community. They protected historic New Hampshire buildings and preserved our open spaces and beautiful, wild areas of nature. In 1996, Gail established an endowed fund to permanently support the Robert H. Bates Mountaineering Room at Phillips Exeter Academy in the Class of 1945 Library. The collection contains many of Bob's collected mountaineering books and memorabilia.

As Senator for New Hampshire, I want to honor Gail's lifetime of service and good citizenship. I join with Gail's friends and family, as well as many, many people across the Granite State, in wishing her a very happy 100th birthday.

Mr. President, I wonder if the Senator from Wyoming will yield for a question.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of Senator Casey's motion to strike provisions from TrumpCare that would harm individuals with disabilities by reducing their access to affordable healthcare or limiting coverage or benefits under Medicaid or in the private health insurance market.

Today, as Senator Casey noted, we celebrate the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, recognizing the enormous contributions that Americans who experience disabilities have made in communities in New Hampshire and across our Nation.

Unfortunately, Senate Republicans are proposing massive cuts to traditional Medicaid, which threaten the support that individuals who experience disabilities need to thrive in their homes, their schools, and their communities.

A few weeks ago, I visited an organization called Granite State Independent Living in Concord, NH. It is a nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities of all ages to try to have an independent life for themselves. What struck me the most was the consistent theme that I heard over and over from

different people who experience different disabilities. They said that because of services like personal care attendants, transportation help, and other medical supports, they were able to work and live more independent lives.

Many shared their biggest fears about what would happen if they didn't receive the support--a real possibility if plans to decimate Medicaid go into effect. Their biggest fear is that independence would go away. There were fears of becoming a burden for their families or having family members have to give up their jobs or having to be put in a nursing home because that would be the only way they could survive.

Person after person talked about how much they wanted to contribute to American life--to their communities, to their States, and to our economy. I kept thinking that all of these people were expressing such an American value with their desires to roll up their sleeves, do everything they could to make a difference, to be self-sufficient, to be independent.

The ability for Americans who experience disabilities to reach their full potential is truly put at risk with some of these TrumpCare proposals, and just a little while ago on the floor, I heard a discussion that perhaps there might be a proposal put forward on the floor--maybe this evening--that would record a sense of the Senate that the Senate wants to make sure that whatever action it takes will not hurt people with disabilities. It will support people with disabilities.

There is no doubt that a kind word can go a long way on a difficult day, but as someone who has raised a child who has experienced severe disabilities, as someone who has spent a lot of time talking to people with disabilities and their families, I can tell you that sympathy and empathy only go so far.

The people I know who experience disabilities want to do everything they can to support themselves, to be independent, to be able to reach their full potential. There is a difference between charity and justice, and while none of us would ever reject the kindness that so many people demonstrate to people with disabilities, what we really should be working toward is making sure people with disabilities have the same access to healthcare, to education, to the workforce that will allow them to have what every American wants, which is an independent life where they are free to chart their own course, support themselves, move forward.

We celebrate the 27th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act today--one of our great moments in this country, as we have reminded ourselves of our Founders' vision. Our Founders said that every single person counts, and while they didn't honor that principle perfectly at our founding, while they did not count everyone at first, they have had the confidence that every generation of Americans would move forward, bringing in more and more people from the margins into the heart and soul of our democracy, our communities, our economy, and, in doing that, we would unleash the talent and energy of more and more Americans. It is that talent and energy that has been the secret of our country's success. It is our vision that continues to drive us forward.

On this day of all days, when we celebrate the progress we have made to honor the freedom, strength, and productivity of Americans who experience disabilities, the last thing we should do is pull the rug out from under those very people by decimating the Medicaid Program that provides them the kind of support that actually allows them to be free, to work hard, to be with their families, to make a difference, to be treated like every other American, to have the rights of every other American, and to feel like every other American.

We can't afford to go back to the days when we marginalized or didn't assist some of our most vulnerable people--people who want to participate and contribute to their communities and to the country they love. So I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of Senator Casey's motion and make clear that individuals with disabilities deserve the right to receive the support they need at home, at school, and in their communities, so they can be free and thrive.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I intend to offer the following motion to H.R. 1628, and I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record. The motion is supported by Senators Casey, Baldwin, Brown, Booker, Franken, Kaine, Stabenow, Duckworth, Leahy, Coons, Blumenthal, Durbin, Warren, Wyden, Peters, Warner, King, Markey, Cardin, Menendez, Nelson, Reed, Udall, Carper, Bennet, Hirono, Cantwell, Heinrich, and Van Hollen.

I would like to take a moment to thank my colleagues for their support.

Madam President, today I wish to recognize Senator Lou D'Allesandro and congratulate him on his 20 years of service in the New Hampshire Senate and to honor his extraordinary career of public service to the State of New Hampshire.

Senator D'Allesandro is serving his 10th term in the New Hampshire Senate representing Manchester and previously served three terms on the New Hampshire Executive Council and two terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Serving with distinction, he has always sought to best represent his constituents and is well known in New Hampshire for his leadership, his willingness to work constructively to better the Granite State, and for the responsiveness and care he has shown throughout his years in public service.

In addition to his many legislative achievements, Senator D'Allesandro served our country honorably in uniform in the U.S. Marine Corps and is an accomplished educator. Senator D'Allesandro was instrumental in getting NCAA status for SNHU and has remained extremely involved in New Hampshire education, having served as chairman of the New England Board of Higher Education. Appointed the first basketball coach in Southern New Hampshire University history in 1963, Senator D'Allesandro led the SNHU Penmen to three straight titles and compiled a record of 114-40 in 7 years of coaching collegiate athletics. He holds honorary doctorates from Franklin Pierce University, Daniel Webster College, and the New Hampshire Institute of Art, as well as degrees from the University of New Hampshire, Rivier University, New England College, and the New Hampshire Institute of Art. He is a member of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc., and is a director of the New Hampshire Hockey Hall of Fame.

As one may gather, Senator D'Allesandro is passionate about bettering the lives of New Hampshire's young people through education, and I sincerely thank him for his years supporting, in so many ways, our colleges and universities. I also thank his wonderful wife, Pat, who has stood by Lou's side and, in doing so, has also served the people of New Hampshire. I am honored to call Lou D'Allesandro a friend, and as Senator for New Hampshire, I join my voice with the voices of so many other Granite Staters to express gratitude to Senator D'Allesandro for his extraordinary commitment to public service, his selfless contributions to higher education, and the positive impact he has made on the State of New Hampshire. Of course, I join all Granite Staters in wishing Lou a great American day.

Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Minnesota for his words and his advocacy on behalf of the people of his State and all across our country.

I rise today to join my colleagues and once again speak out against the Senate Republican healthcare bill and the dangerous impact it would have on the people of my home State of New Hampshire and Americans from all walks of life.

This week, Senate Republicans are pressing ahead with plans that would increase health insurance costs, give Americans worse health insurance, and strip away health coverage from millions of Americans. Yet, despite statements that a vote will come tomorrow or in a matter of days, Senate Republican leadership will not tell even their own Members what proposal we will vote on, let alone hold a hearing on the impact of the bill.

As version after version of this bill has emerged from behind closed doors, somehow each time it is even worse than the last, and every version would be devastating for people across New Hampshire. These bills would lead to higher costs for worse coverage. In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said we would see even higher deductibles than the ones we already see. This proposal would decimate the Medicaid Program and end Medicaid expansion. It would take coverage away from millions. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that between 22 and 32 million people would lose coverage, depending on which bill we vote on.

We know that rising healthcare costs are squeezing hard-working people across America. I have made clear to my colleagues across the aisle that I am willing to work with anyone who is serious about working together to build and improve on the Affordable Care Act, to lower costs, but unfortunately these Senate Republican bills would do just the opposite.

Over the past months, I have heard from people all across New Hampshire. They have shared their most personal stories, their frustrations, and their fears about what will happen if this bill becomes law.

Last month, Senator Shaheen and I held an emergency hearing in Concord to hear from our constituents about how proposals put forward by Senate Republicans would impact them. We held this emergency hearing at 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon in the summer, with just a day's notice. Yet hundreds of people showed up, and more than 50 people got up and shared their most personal stories about the importance of healthcare, of how they have benefited from the important protections provided under current law, including maternity care, prescription drug coverage, and coverage for substance use disorder services.

One of those Granite Staters was a woman named Maura from Exeter, NH. Maura told us that the Affordable Care Act has been a ``financial life- saver'' for her family. She explained to us how, when she signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, her premiums dropped by $750 a month because of subsidies. As Maura described it, she and her family were able to put the extra $750 each month toward childcare, food, and their mortgage.

On another recent visit to Granite State Independent Living in Concord, a nonprofit that provides a range of assisted-living services for Granite Staters, I also heard about the importance of Medicaid from a Granite Stater named Terry. Terry has physical disabilities and requires the assistance of personal care aides, who are paid through Medicaid. They help her with daily tasks, such as getting up in the morning and getting dressed and preparing meals. Terry said that without the support from Medicaid, she wouldn't be able to go to work, to her job, or do basic tasks, such as shopping on her own. Without Medicaid, she would need to burden her family in order to complete everyday, basic activities, and she wouldn't be able to go to work. Terry fears that this support could be taken away under this legislation, and she is right. It could be. She said that given the cuts to Medicaid and the provisions in TrumpCare, she ``wouldn't get anywhere near what I need to survive.''

Finally, I have heard from advocates and those in recovery from substance use disorders about how vital Medicaid expansion has been in helping them get the support they need in order to get well and back on their feet. In fact, those on the front lines of this epidemic have said that Medicaid expansion is the No. 1 tool we have in order to combat the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis, which is the most pressing public health and safety challenge facing my State.

A few weeks ago, I visited Goodwin Community Health in Somersworth and heard from a woman named Elizabeth. At one point in her life, as a result of substance misuse disorder, Elizabeth was homeless and she had lost custody of her son. Elizabeth is now in recovery, and she works at the SOS Recovery Community Organization in Rochester, helping others get the support they need.

She said that she owes her recovery to Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act and that holding on to Medicaid is essential because without it, many people who are in the throes of addiction would not be able to find help.

Elizabeth said:

I just really want to emphasize the ripple effect that

recovery has on the community. It's not just because I'm in

recovery that I can help somebody else. Everyone around me is

impacted. When we talk about the recovery revolution, it's

about how everyone in the community is affected when someone

gets into recovery.

Elizabeth is right. People who can get healthcare can get healthy, and that has a tremendous ripple effect. It lifts us all. It makes us productive and strong.

At the heart of all of these stories--Maura, Terry, and Elizabeth-- and the stories that I hear all over my State is the basic fact that our communities, our families, and our entire country are better off when we give more people a chance to participate, to get the support they need, to live their lives with dignity, to contribute to our economy, and to thrive.

Unfortunately, if TrumpCare becomes law, the progress we have made will be lost, insurance costs will rise, and millions of people will lose the care that they need.

I am going to continue to stand with my Democratic colleagues and fight against this legislation until we defeat it once and for all.

I urge the people of New Hampshire and across our beloved United States of America to continue speaking out about how this legislation would impact their lives.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank our leader, Senator Schumer, for his remarks.

I join with Senator Schumer and all of our colleagues in wishing the very best to our tough and resilient American hero and colleague, John McCain. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. We need him back here as fast as he can get here.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Mr. Shane Delande Gilbert, born July 16, 2007, and wish him a happy 10th birthday. A Granite Stater from Merrimack, Shane possesses a deep love for our country and its history. Shane recently was graduated from Thorntons Ferry Elementary School, where he was an excellent student in Mrs. DeFrancisco's fourth grade class and enrolled in the school's gifted and talented program. This fall, Shane will enter the fifth grade at James Mastricola Upper Elementary School in Merrimack.

Shane is deeply engaged in his community. He is a member of his school's Junior Lego League and is involved with the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology--FIRST--Lego League, as well as karate.

Shane has, with tremendous strength of spirit, shouldered the responsibility of fighting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and every day exhibits remarkable bravery and courage. Shane is an active participant in the Greater Nahua Relay for Life. For his 10th birthday, in lieu of gifts, Shane asked that donations be made instead to his Relay for Life team ``Spuddie's Against Cancer.'' He raised $150 towards cancer research and achieved his personal best by walking 10 miles.

Shane's civic mindedness extends to all aspects of life. He is nicknamed. ``The Mayor'' due to his gregariousness and passion for helping others. A keen political observer and participant, Shane spoke to many Presidential candidates during New Hampshire's most recent primary season and has expressed interest in 1 day running for that office himself. He is also a student of the American Civil War, and recently visited Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania and will be touring the U.S. Capitol today.

Shane's commitment to his community and his love of our country and its history gives me great hope for our future. I join Shane's parents, Laurie-Ann Gilbert and Christine Delande, in celebrating Shane on the occasion of his 10th birthday.

Mr. President, I am honored to join my colleagues here today. I thank Senator Carper for his excellent suggestions and leadership in terms of reaching out to both the current and former Governors as we proceed on this issue. I am very grateful to my colleague Senator Kaine for his leadership on the HELP Committee and what he brings as a former mayor and Governor.

I rise today to join my colleague from New Hampshire in supporting her efforts to help lower healthcare premiums for middle-class Americans and to stabilize the insurance marketplace.

The Trump administration has been working to sabotage the individual market by playing games with cost-sharing reductions. Those cost- sharing reductions help lower out-of-pocket expenses, such as deductibles and copays, for individuals with health insurance plans in the marketplace. This legislation from Senator Shaheen is a commonsense measure that would work to prevent the instability and chaos being pushed by the administration.

I also join my colleagues in making clear that we are ready and willing to work across the aisle on priorities that will improve and build on the Affordable Care Act and bring down costs for people in New Hampshire and across the country.

Over the course of the last several months, we have seen that the partisan process Republican leadership has pushed with TrumpCare simply won't work. It is going to take a bipartisan approach in order to make progress, not a senseless repeal bill that would pull the rug out from millions of Americans.

I have seen firsthand that it is possible for Democrats and Republicans to come together in order to improve our healthcare system. As Governor of New Hampshire, I worked across party lines to pass a bipartisan Medicaid expansion plan that delivered quality, affordable insurance to over 50,000 hard-working Granite Staters. Expansion has truly made a difference for communities across my State, particularly for people impacted by the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis.

Just last week, I visited Goodwin Community Health in Somersworth and heard from a woman named Elizabeth. At one point in her life, as a result of a substance use disorder, Elizabeth was homeless, and she lost custody of her son. But Elizabeth is now in recovery, and she works at the SOS Recovery Community Organization in Rochester, helping others get the support they need. She said she owes her recovery to the insurance she has received through the Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act.

Elizabeth's story is a great example of the power of what is possible when we come together on bipartisan solutions to help improve the health of our people. This is the same approach we need to take in the Senate, and I believe there are areas for bipartisan cooperation that we should be working on in order to improve the Affordable Care Act.

In addition to Senator Shaheen's legislation to stabilize the individual market and in addition to the legislation we have heard discussed by Senator Kaine and Senator Carper, there are other things we can do.

I believe it is critical that we take on Big Pharma and bring down the cost of prescription drug prices, including allowing importing safe and affordable drugs and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and I believe we should eliminate the existing income cliff in the Affordable Care Act which blocks many middle-class individuals from receiving premium assistance.

These are commonsense measures we should be taking now. People across our Nation have made clear, they don't want Congress to do a wholesale repeal of the Affordable Care Act because it would have devastating impacts for them and their families.

I urge my colleagues to put the partisan gamesmanship aside. I join Senator Kaine, as a member of the HELP Committee, in asking for a hearing at the very committee which is supposed to set healthcare policy in this body so we can listen to the voices of constituents, of providers, of other stakeholders. We need to come to the table ready to work on bipartisan solutions in order to improve our healthcare system. All of our people deserve to have access to quality, affordable care so they can be healthy. That makes our country healthy, productive, and strong too.

Mr. President, I rise today to join my friend and colleague, Senator Shaheen, to discuss the stories and concerns we heard from our constituents in New Hampshire about how they would be hurt if TrumpCare becomes law.

Even though Republican leadership has delayed a vote on TrumpCare this week, we know that the fundamentals of what is wrong with TrumpCare will not change.

TrumpCare would force Granite Staters to pay more for worse insurance, all to give billions of dollars in tax breaks to corporate special interests--including Big Pharma--at the expense of hard-working Americans and the programs they rely on. This is the basic principle of TrumpCare, and it is unacceptable.

TrumpCare would be a disaster for people in New Hampshire. Granite Staters know this, and they have been standing up and speaking out against this dangerous bill.

As Senator Shaheen discussed, we held an emergency hearing last week in Concord to hear from our constituents about how TrumpCare would impact them. We held this emergency hearing at 2 p.m., on a Friday afternoon, in the summer, and with just a day's notice. Yet hundreds of people showed up.

Over 50 people shared their personal stories about the importance of healthcare, of how they have benefited from the important protections that are provided under current law--including maternity care, prescription drug coverage, and coverage for substance use disorder services--of the protections against insurance company

abuses, of Medicaid expansion, and of traditional Medicaid. They told us what their lives were like and why TrumpCare would be devastating to them and their families. I wish to share some of those stories today.

We heard from Ariel, from Rochester, NH, a mother who is benefitting from substance use disorder services that are included in Medicaid expansion and would be taken away under TrumpCare. Ariel said:

I am a mother of 3 children and I have a substance abuse

disorder. I come from a long line of women who never had much

opportunity. With the opportunity to have Medicaid I have

been given the chance of treatment.

Without the chance of treatment I wouldn't have been taught

that there is a solution and a way to live a full, beautiful

life as a woman in recovery . . . as a mother of 3 beautiful

children. . . . As a woman of dignity and grace. . . .

If the opportunity of Medicaid is taken away, the chance of

positive change in this world is going to drastically drop. .

. . Women like me may never know a world outside of drug use

and hopelessness.

She goes on to say:

Today because of the opportunity of change, I am able to be

a positive role model to my children and most importantly our

future.

When we met Ariel, she was pregnant with that third child, and she went into labor immediately following our field hearing. She told us over the weekend that she had a healthy baby boy. Because of the treatment Ariel received through Medicaid, she is in a better position to take care of that new baby boy.

Our Medicaid Program is not only critical to providing key support to combat the substance misuse crisis, but, as Senator Shaheen mentioned, it also helps seniors and those who experience disabilities get the care they need--services that would be taken away under TrumpCare.

This is something we heard from a Granite Stater named Jeff, who has a form of muscular dystrophy. Jeff said:

I am able to live a life that's independent in my own home,

pursuing my own career, only by virtue of the fact that I am

able to receive Medicaid services. Specifically, all this

discussion about private insurance is well and good, but I

think what some Senators aren't remembering or don't know is

that private insurance doesn't cover many of the types of

services that Medicaid does. . . . Especially personal care

services that allow us to live independently in our homes and

communities, which is where all of us would like to be, if

we're able to. So, I'm concerned about that.

He continued:

I'm concerned about the fact that my understanding is that

this bill would allow states to opt out of providing optional

Medicaid services, many of which are the waiver programs here

in the state that frankly are so vital to folks with physical

disabilities, developmental disabilities, acquired brain

injuries, and all sorts of other conditions. So that part

concerns me.

Medicaid coverage makes it possible for Jeff and so many others to work and participate in their communities. Jeff also said that he was concerned about the fact that TrumpCare cuts and caps Medicaid, which we know is really just code for massive cuts that would force States to choose between slashing benefits, reducing the number of people who can get care, or both.

Senator Shaheen and I also heard from several Granite Staters who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act and who are concerned that TrumpCare would reduce the care they receive while raising their costs. One of these people was Enna, from Exeter, NH. Enna said:

I am self-employed and purchase health insurance through

the Marketplace here in New Hampshire. The ACA had given me

the opportunity to purchase affordable health insurance for

myself and my family of four.

She explained:

We were unable to maintain insurance consistently prior to

the ACA, and even when we did have it, critical preventative

care--for myself, as a woman--was not covered by our previous

policy.

She said this about TrumpCare:

[It] would make our health coverage less comprehensive and

less affordable. I am certain that our risk of financial and/

or health catastrophe would be significantly greater [under

TrumpCare].

There is no doubt that we should all be working together in order to improve the Affordable Care Act, build on the progress we have made, and lower healthcare costs for all of our citizens. I am willing to work with any of my colleagues on bipartisan solutions in order to make that happen, but we know that TrumpCare is not the answer. While my Republican colleagues have delayed a vote on this bill, no one believes that TrumpCare is dead yet.

I am going to continue to share the stories of Granite Staters who would have to pay more money for less care under TrumpCare. I will keep working to ensure that TrumpCare never becomes law. I urge my colleagues to take the time to listen to their constituents who would be hurt under TrumpCare.

The people of New Hampshire have been so brave. They have come forward, and they have talked about their most personal, difficult, and challenging experiences. They have laid themselves bare before the rest of us so we could understand what they have gone through and so we could understand that if we are not committed to a healthcare system in which every American--citizens in a democracy--have meaningful, truly affordable access to the type of care that each of us would want for our own family, then we are not doing our job as a democracy at all.

We need to protect and defend what we have, and, then, we need to improve what we have. We need to come together and make sure that healthcare is truly available to every one of us, so that we can be healthy and productive and so that we can lead together.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Hawaii for her words and Senator Murray for organizing this group of speakers.

I rise today to join my colleagues in making clear that TrumpCare would be a disaster for women in New Hampshire and across the Nation.

Right now Senate Republicans continue to meet behind closed doors on their TrumpCare bill, and the reason they have not been transparent is because they know they can't defend this dangerous bill to their constituents. Throughout the process in the Senate, it has been a group of 13 men--no women--writing a bill that will impact the healthcare of millions of American women. It is not just that a small group has been writing the bill behind closed doors. It is also that once we do eventually see the bill, it is going to be rushed to the floor without a hearing. So we will not have the benefit of feedback from our constituents, from stakeholders, from people who understand what the impact of this bill will be. This is simply unacceptable.

To compete economically on a level playing field, women must be able to make their own healthcare decisions. They shouldn't have to pay more than men do for their healthcare. They should be able to visit providers of their own choice who understand and have expertise in women's healthcare needs. The health insurance that is available to women should be equal to that of their male colleagues. That means it should cover their basic healthcare needs.

To fully participate not only in our economy but also in our democracy, women have to be recognized for their capacity to make their own healthcare decisions--just as men are.

I have heard from many constituents whose lives have been changed by being able to get the healthcare they need from the providers they trust. One of those people is Carla from Newfields, NH. As a college student, Carla suffered from significant pain. She needed immediate medical care, so she went to her local Planned Parenthood.

It turned out that her pain was caused by ovarian cysts, and the treatment for those cysts was birth control. As a college student on a limited budget, before the Affordable Care Act had passed, Carla couldn't afford birth control. Because she went to Planned Parenthood, though, she got the treatment she needed at a price she could afford. Her pain went away. She was able to graduate college and eventually start a family--something she might not have been able to do if her underlying condition had not been treated, caught when it was. That was the power of access to appropriate and affordable health care in her life at the right time.

Carla's story is the story of the thousands of New Hampshire women who received primary and preventive healthcare services from Planned Parenthood.

TrumpCare is a disaster for women. TrumpCare defunds Planned Parenthood, which would take away a critical source of care for women. This care includes birth control and breast and cervical cancer screenings. Defunding Planned Parenthood would leave many women in the Granite State and throughout the country without access to care, plain and simple. There aren't enough other providers, as I heard from medical providers throughout my State when I was Governor there, to absorb all of the patients Planned Parenthood cares for now.

TrumpCare also includes harmful language that restricts women's constitutionally protected rights to access abortion services. Additionally, under TrumpCare, if you are a mother, giving birth could now be considered a preexisting condition that insurance companies could use to discriminate against you and charge you more.

TrumpCare would increase the cost to women from maternity care in two ways:

First, it would undermine the requirement that insurance companies must cover essential health benefits, including maternity care. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office says that the House-passed TrumpCare bill would increase out-of-pocket spending for maternity care for women who have private insurance by thousands of dollars per year.

Second, TrumpCare slashes Medicaid funding. Medicaid pays for nearly one-half of all births in the United States, meaning, with the 25- percent cut in expenditures over the next decade that is called for in the TrumpCare bill, that at least some of this maternity coverage would also be cut.

Any cut to Medicaid would disproportionately affect Granite State women, as 62 percent of Medicaid recipients in New Hampshire are women. These cuts would also strain at-risk families because Medicaid covers nearly one in three children across our country and nearly 30 percent of the children in my State of New Hampshire.

It is clear that TrumpCare would continue efforts to play partisan games with a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions and control her own destiny.

It is critical that people in New Hampshire and across our Nation continue to speak out and share their stories about how TrumpCare would impact their lives, and I am going to continue to work with my colleagues to defeat this bill.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Mississippi for his remarks about the brave men and women in the Navy and their need for support.