Walden finds positives in CBO score; Merkley blasts bill

(Update adding Merkley comments)

Despite headlines saying 23 million fewer Americans would be covered under the House Republicans’ health care bill than under Obamacare, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., found the Congressional Budget Office scoring of the bill had positive elements. But Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., again attacked the proposal as it comes before the Senate.

Walden, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement regarding the Congressional Budget Office’s score of the American Health Care Act.

“The American Health Care Act is the first step in our efforts to repeal Obamacare and rebuild our broken health care system. CBO continues to find that through our patient-focused bill, premiums will go down and that our reforms will help stabilize the market,” Walden said.

“Our plan puts states and patients in the driver’s seat, creating an innovative fund to help lower premiums and other out-of-pocket costs,” the congressman continues. “As the Senate continues its work on this vital bill, we encourage them to further these critical principles.”

Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office released its report analyzing the House-passed AHCA, or TrumpCare 2.0:

“This devastating report confirms what we suspected: TrumpCare 2.0 is even worse than TrumpCare 1.0. No wonder House Republicans rushed to pass it before this report came out.

“This report confirms that once again, the House has championed a bill that would strip health care from more than 20 million Americans. In addition, millions more would buy policies that they think provide coverage but in reality are worth little more than the paper they are printed on.

“TrumpCare 2.0 breaks every single health care promise President Trump made:

“He promised he’d cover everyone – this bill covers millions fewer people.

“He promised coverage would be better – this bill makes coverage worse, with essential benefits made optional.

“He promised health care would cost less – yet for older Americans on modest incomes, the price of health care skyrockets under this bill.

“He promised he wouldn’t cut Medicaid – this bill cuts Medicaid by more than $800 billion.

“He promised he would sustain full protection for people with preexisting conditions – this bill destroys this guarantee.

“TrumpCare 2.0’s trail of broken promises are a path to destroying health care in America and destroying peace of mind for millions of American families. We must make sure that this bill never makes it to the Oval Office.”