Merkley: New GOP health care bill is even worse

Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the following statement Thursday after Senate Republicans released a new draft of their proposed health care bill:

“With each new round of ‘fixes’ and ‘improvements,’ the Republicans make this bill even worse. Less coverage. Fewer protections. More people in pain.

“This new draft does nothing to address the biggest problem in previous versions: callous cuts to Medicaid that would rip health care away from millions of children, seniors, and working Americans.

“The new draft further damages health care by legalizing fake insurance: policies that cost little but cover virtually nothing.

“Imagine buying a shiny new car, driving it off the lot, and then discovering at the first red light that the car came without any brakes. That is the type of insurance that Senate Republicans want to sell to unsuspecting American families. Why would anyone want to go back to the days when insurance companies could scam hardworking Americans with insurance policies that weren’t worth the paper they were printed on?

“It’s time for Republicans to stop striving to destroy health care for millions, and instead work with us to improve health care for all Americans.”

Video of Senator Merkley reacting to the new draft of the health care bill is available here .