Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Wednesday, June 28; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Rao nomination.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of our Democratic colleagues.

Madam President, 7 years ago, the Democrats forced an unfair healthcare system on our country that they called the Affordable Care Act. It turned out to be anything but that.

They told Americans that it would lower their premiums, but ObamaCare has increased premiums by an average of 105 percent in the vast majority of States on the Federal exchange since 2013. Unless we act, we can expect similar trends for years to come.

They told Americans that it would expand choice in the healthcare marketplace, but ObamaCare has left Americans in 70 percent of U.S. counties with little to no options for insurance this year. Unless we act, we can expect things to get worse.

They told Americans that it would allow them to keep their doctors, their plans, and their ability to make the smartest healthcare decisions for their families. Instead, ObamaCare forced millions off the plans they liked and forced millions into plans they either did not want or could not afford. Unless we act, more Americans will be left trapped, forced by ObamaCare to buy insurance but left without the means to actually do so.

This is the ObamaCare status quo as millions of Americans have come to know it. It is unacceptable. It is unsustainable. The American people need better care, which is exactly what we are working to bring them.

Through dozens of meetings and through conversations with every Member of our conference, we have had the opportunity to discuss many different ideas and approaches for bringing relief from ObamaCare. Ultimately, we found there were a number of areas in which we all agreed when it comes to what the critical issues we need to address are and how we can do that. Those solutions are what make up the draft legislation that was released last week and that we will continue working to consider now.

Better Care will preserve access to care for patients with preexisting conditions, strengthen Medicaid, and allow children to remain on their parents' insurance through the age of 26.

Better Care will lower costs from where they are under ObamaCare by, among other things, eliminating taxes on the middle class, by giving Americans more power to control and reduce their medical costs and out- of-pocket expenses, and by giving States significant new tools to drive down premiums.

Better Care will free Americans from onerous mandates under ObamaCare by repealing the employer mandate that reduces hours and take-home pay for too many workers and by repealing the individual mandate that forces Americans to buy unaffordable ObamaCare insurance, freeing them to make the best healthcare decisions for their families on what types of plans they want and can afford.

Better Care will help stabilize insurance markets that are collapsing under ObamaCare by first implementing stabilization policies and then carefully transitioning away from ObamaCare completely so that more families are not harmed by its collapsing markets.

As one major insurer observed just today, this bill ``will markedly improve the stability of the individual market and moderate premium increases.'' That is from a major insurer today.

We should keep working so that we can move forward with robust floor debate and an open amendment process here on the Senate floor. I would encourage all 100 Senators to participate because the American people need better care right now, and this legislation includes the necessary tools to provide it.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider with respect to the Svinicki nomination be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business for debate only and with Senators permitted to speak therein.

Mr. President, 7 years ago, Democrats imposed ObamaCare on our country. They said it would lower costs. It didn't. From 2013 to 2017, premiums have on average doubled in the vast majority of States on the Federal exchange. Next year, ObamaCare premiums will go up across the country once again, potentially by as much as 43 percent in Iowa, 59 percent in Maryland, and even a staggering 80 percent in New Mexico. Does it sound as if ObamaCare is working?

They said it would increase choice. They said it would increase choice, but of course it didn't. This year, 70 percent of American counties have had little or no choice of insurers under ObamaCare. Next year, at least 44 counties are projected to have no choice at all, meaning, yet again, Americans could be thrown off their plans in States like Missouri and Ohio and Wisconsin. Does this sound as if ObamaCare is working?

Now Democrats tell us it would be wrong for the Senate to actually address these problems in a serious way while the law they have defended for 7 years teeters, literally teeters on the edge of total collapse. They were wrong before; they are wrong again now because ObamaCare isn't working. By nearly any measure it has failed, and no amount of eleventh-hour reality denying or buck-passing by Democrats is going to change the fact that more Americans are going to get hurt unless we do something.

I regret that our Democratic friends made clear early on that they did not want to work with us in a serious bipartisan way to address the ObamaCare status quo, but Republicans believe we have a responsibility to act, and we are--for our constituents, for our States, and for our country.

We have long called for a better way forward, and we have been engaged in intensive talks on how to get there. Through dozens of meetings, open to each and every member of the conference, we have had the opportunity to offer and consider many ideas for confronting the ObamaCare status quo.

We have debated many policy proposals, and we have considered many different viewpoints. In the end, we have found that we share many ideas about what needs to be achieved and how we can achieve it. These shared policy objectives and the solutions to help achieve them are what made up the healthcare discussion draft that we finished talking through this morning.

We agree on the need to free Americans from ObamaCare's mandates, and policies contained in the discussion draft will repeal the individual mandate, so Americans are no longer forced to buy insurance they don't need or can't afford. We are repealing employer mandates, so Americans no longer see their hours and take-home pay cut by employers because of it. We agree on the need to improve the affordability of health insurance, and policies contained in the discussion draft will do that. It will eliminate costly ObamaCare taxes that are passed on to consumers, so we can put downward pressure on premiums; expand tax-free health savings accounts and deploy targeted tax credits, so we can help defray out-of-pocket costs; and shift power from Washington to the States,

so they have more flexibility to provide more Americans with the kind of affordable insurance options they actually want.

We agree on the need to stabilize the insurance markets that are collapsing under ObamaCare as well, and policies contained in the discussion draft will implement stabilization policies, so we can bring financial certainty to insurance markets and hope to Americans who face the possibility of limited or zero options next year under ObamaCare and ultimately transition away from ObamaCare's collapsing system entirely, so more Americans will not be hurt.

We also agree on the need to strengthen Medicaid, preserve access to care for patients with preexisting conditions, and allow children to stay on their parents' health insurance through the age of 26.

I am pleased we were able to arrive at a draft that incorporates input from so many different Members, who represent so many different constituents who are facing so many different challenges.

The draft containing the solutions I mentioned, along with many others, is posted online, and I encourage everyone to carefully review it. There will be ample time to analyze, discuss, and provide thoughts before legislation comes to the floor. I hope every Senator takes that opportunity.

Next week we expect the Congressional Budget Office to release a score. After that, we will proceed with a robust debate and an open amendment process on the Senate floor--a process I would encourage each of our 100 Senators to participate in.

When legislation does come to the floor, it will present Senate Democrats with another opportunity to do what is right for the American people. They can choose to keep standing by as their failing law continues to collapse and hurt more Americans, but I hope they will join us, instead, to bring relief to the families who have struggled under ObamaCare for far too long. Either way--either way, it is time to act because ObamaCare is a direct attack on the middle class, and American families deserve better than its failing status quo. They deserve better care, and that is just what we are going to continue to work to bring.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, my colleague Senator Cornyn was going to ask a question, which I will answer, which was that the minority leader is referring to a bill that he hasn't seen a copy of because it hasn't yet been released. So the speech we just heard was about a bill that he hasn't seen.

With regard to his unanimous consent request, I object.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I want to thank my friend the assistant Democratic leader for confirming that the majority leader's remarks obviously were made on the basis of news accounts. The bill has only been posted online for the last 20 minutes.

I will yield for a question.

I object.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, all postcloture time on the Billingslea nomination expire at 2 p.m. today and that if cloture is invoked on the Svinicki nomination, the postcloture time not expire until 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 26.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Executive Calendar Nos. 120 through 152 and all nominations placed on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, with the exception of COL Darius Gallegos in Calendar No. 140; that the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 4 p.m., Monday, June 26; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Svinicki nomination.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Wyden.

Madam President, in the many years since ObamaCare was imposed on the American people, it has continued to hurt the people we represent over and over and over again with higher costs, fewer choices, pain and heartbreak for the middle class. We have watched ObamaCare unravel before our very eyes with each passing year. Now it teeters on the edge of collapse, and we face a choice: Allow the unsustainable ObamaCare status quo to continue hurting more Americans or take action to finally move forward.

Early on, Democrats made it clear they did not want to work with us toward that goal in a serious or bipartisan way. I regret that. But we have a responsibility to move forward, and we are.

As I have said, our entire conference has been active and engaged in moving beyond the failures of ObamaCare for quite some time now, and we are focused on the following: stabilizing insurance markets, which are collapsing under ObamaCare; improving the affordability of health insurance, which keeps getting more expensive under ObamaCare; freeing Americans from ObamaCare mandates, which force them to buy insurance they don't want; strengthening Medicaid for those who need it the most; and preserving access to care for patients with preexisting conditions. Those are the principles.

We believe we can do better than the ObamaCare status quo, and we fully intend to do so. We have all received the calls, letters, and emails from our constituents who have been hurt by this failed healthcare law. We all know the pain it has caused in our home States.

Take my home State of Kentucky, for example. Under ObamaCare, insurance markets are collapsing in Kentucky, just as we see them collapsing across the country. We want to stabilize them. Kentucky was once held up as an ObamaCare success story, but ObamaCare made a mess of healthcare markets in my home State, just as it has made a mess of markets all across the Nation. Too many families in Kentucky who liked their insurance plans or their doctors soon found they were unable to keep them. When families are kicked off their plan, they must find a new insurer, often at a higher price. When families must change doctors, they often lose a bond of trust they develop with a physician who is familiar with their medical history. When insurers flee the exchanges, it leaves families with fewer options for their healthcare. In fact, Kentuckians in nearly half of our counties now have only one option on the ObamaCare exchanges, and as we all know, one option really isn't an option at all.

A woman from Lexington contacted my office about her difficulty finding a plan on the exchanges. Here is what she had to say: ``I live in one of the three largest cities in our state, and I had two options for insurance this year.'' She wrote that the limited networks on both of those two plans ``[eliminated] a huge number of providers in Fayette County,'' the second largest county in my State. In addition to the limited access to care on these plans, she said, ``The lowest deductible option was $10,000.''

The lowest deductible option--$10,000. For this Kentuckian and for so many others, ObamaCare has failed. We must do better, better for Kentuckians and

better for families all across the country. That is why we have to act.

Under ObamaCare, healthcare costs are skyrocketing in Kentucky, just as they are skyrocketing across the country. We want to improve affordability. Too many Kentuckians have learned firsthand that the so- called Affordable Care Act has really been anything but affordable. Premiums and deductibles continue to climb higher as ObamaCare takes a larger bite out of Kentuckians' budgets.

A recent Health and Human Services report shows that ObamaCare premiums in Kentucky have spiked an average of 75 percent since 2013, when the law was fully implemented. This year alone, ObamaCare premiums have shot up by as much as 47 percent.

After years of being frustrated by ObamaCare, a small business owner from Lancaster, KY, said she had ``decided it was utter nonsense to buy insurance that covered nothing.'' She said that it was utter nonsense to buy insurance that covered nothing.

Although she pays a large sum every month, her plan ``covers no office visits, no prescription coverage, [and] has a $6,000 deductible.'' In her estimate, ``[i]t is useless.''

The rising costs of ObamaCare add a burden that many in my State simply cannot bear. I have received heartbreaking letters from Kentuckians, such as one family faced with this dilemma: Pay for health insurance or put food on the table. As ObamaCare collapses, these families are stuck dealing with the consequences. Increasing costs have become the status quo under ObamaCare, and it is completely unsustainable--unsustainable for Kentuckians and unsustainable for families across the country. That is why we have to act.

Under ObamaCare, Kentuckians are being forced to buy insurance plans they don't want, just as Americans are being similarly forced to do so all across our country. We want to free them from those mandates. The American people have made clear that they don't like the mandate, which compels individuals to purchase unaffordable ObamaCare plans or pay a penalty. When you combine those who pay the fine and those who received a waiver, it adds up to millions of Americans who decided they didn't want or simply could not afford ObamaCare.

Listen to the story of a single mom from Berea, KY, who recently wrote my office. She is a full-time student trying to make ends meet. When she began searching for a plan on the ObamaCare exchanges, she saw a startling picture: high premiums and a staggering deductible. She wrote:

At this rate, I would honestly be better not to take health

insurance at all and hope for the best.

Americans like myself need something better.

Some families, instead of bracing for another double-digit increase next year, are considering not buying health insurance at all. Because of the ObamaCare mandate, they are forced to buy insurance they just can't afford.

The elimination of the mandate will restore to Americans the freedom to choose the healthcare plans that are right for them, instead of being forced to purchase something that may not meet their needs. The American people, just like this Kentucky mom, deserve a better healthcare system than ObamaCare.

The Senate Republican conference is focused on addressing the issues I mentioned as we work toward strengthening Medicaid and preserving access to care for patients with preexisting conditions.

The Kentuckians' stories I have read this morning are just a sample of the pain felt by so many across my State, just as Americans from States across the country continue to share similar concerns with their Senators. ObamaCare's years-long legacy of soaring prices, shrinking choices, and total failure will continue to get worse unless we act.

The ObamaCare status quo is simply unsustainable. It is hurting Americans, and it will continue to do so unless we act. The American people are demanding relief, and we intend to deliver it to them. That is why Senate Republicans are continuing to work toward smarter healthcare solutions that will finally allow us to move beyond this failed law.

I want to repeat what I said yesterday. A discussion draft will be made public tomorrow. Every Member of the Senate will have it, and it will be posted online for everyone to review.

For the past 7 years, ObamaCare has continued to hurt the people we represent. For the past 7 years, Republicans have offered ideas for a better way forward. Soon we will finally have the chance to turn the page on this failing law.