Transcripts For CSPAN2 20170627 : vimarsana.com

Beloved one gets ill, that they will have the peace of mind to know they will be able to get the health care they need. They want bankrupt in the process. And yet here we are tonight, debating a bill titled the better care at. Better care as there ever been a bill in the United States history of america so more perversely named then this better care act which strips care from 22 million americans. I was very struck by one equation of this bill and that is that it provides to the richest 400 americans 33 billion over a 10 year period, thats enough to pay for health care in medicaid for 700,000 individuals. 700,000 individuals, it rips the healthcare away from them to get 33 billion to the richest 400 families. That is obscene. That is certainly not better care. Its hard for me to imagine a Single Member of this body would vote to proceed on this bill but here we are until we get agreement that we are not going to proceed. We have to continueto carry on the spike. We know that 50 Million People cbo estimates will lose healthcare in the next 12 months. Even worse than the house bill. Last week i came to this floor to call the senate draft stephen maynard, the house bill was named in the senate is meaner and now we have the cbo estimates that says yes, its worse. 1 million more people would lose healthcare in a short period of time and furthermore, the rate at which standard medicaid is compressed, medicaid as it existed before obamacare, that rate is increased to further diminish healthcare, having nothing to do with obamacare. Just to add to the cruelty of this bill. So millions lose but we deliver billions of dollars to the richest americans. In my home state of oregon, the elimination of the expansion of medicaid, the Oregon Health plan would eliminate 400,000 oregonians off of healthcare, 400,000. Imagine those individuals holding hands, 400,000 oregonians. Renting from the Pacific Ocean to the state of idaho. Anyone who has driven across oregon would realize that its 400 miles across oregon. But youre describing it as seven hours of drive, just seven hours youre passing it , 50 miles per hour, 60 miles per hour, youre passing a stream of people who would lose their healthcare just from the elimination of the expansion of medicaid. My colleagues across the aisle have crafted this so as to put it beyond the next president ial election. The on the 2018 election and beyond the 20 20 election. Why . Theyre so terrified of the impact of this on the election that they decided to postpone it till after 2020, as if that makes it acceptable so it rips health care for millions of people, that type of cynical act, purely political is not going to be viewed well by the american public, if youare so ashamed of this bill , and so ashamed that they want to postpone the effects beyond the next president ial election, 3 and a half years from now, 80 you should be is so ashamed is not to vote to move the bill here in the short term. My colleagues across the aisle note today is that i cant imagine, thats not the word for it but its close. I cannot imagine that anyone in america would have a chance to review this bill and understand it in time to proceed this week. He said, including myself. Well, thats certainly true. If theres ever been a case where a hill profoundly affecting so many has not had the benefit of Committee Deliberation year in the senate area are we a legislative body . Or are we a dictatorship . Where everything is done behind closed doors and ran through . Thats not the american way, thats not the constitutional vision for how the senate should work. Its supposed to be time to consult healthcare experts, and time to go home to consult our constituents and find outwhat they feel but what is so terrifying in this bill that youre afraid of your constituents , you shouldnt vote to proceed with the bill . What is so terrifyingyou dont want to consult the experts , you should proceed with this bill. If youre so terrified of the reaction from the public will be so strong that it will put you in an awkward spot, you should proceed because you have a responsibility to consult with your folks back home. A responsibility to consult with healthcare experts. To understand every nuance of this bill. One of those facts is that it has a devastating impact on those who go to nursing homes, folks who are under medicaid and in a nursing home. They had given up their entire income and their assets before they can get medicaid support. I was down in seneca falls the weekend before this last, went to a nursing home and they said senator, almost 100 percent of the folks here on longterm care are paid for by medicaid. I that everybody would say 60 percent work two thirds but in rural oregon, in granite falls, almost 100 percent. And then we had the ceo of Oregon Health Association Reach out and address this issue of how its going to affect seniors and here are his exact words. Quote, i was on a call early today to get some projections of how hard oregon and medicaid funded longterm Health Service would be hit. If this bill passes, it literally could force the closure of the majority of nursing facilities in oregon by 2025. One thing i cant get out of my mind, another nursing home i went to there was a woman named deborah. I explained i was coming by to talk to people and wanted to understand the impact of this bill on longterm care. He said senator, i paid for by medicaid. And if medicaid disappears, im on the street and thats a problem because i cant walk. Thats exactly what deborah said. And of course, the problem not only is because she cant walk but because she needs extensive care which is why shes in longterm care to begin with the anxiety was palpable among the nursing home residents, longterm care residents. They have no backup plan because they have to spend on their assets the four they qualify for medicaid so dont think of this as this ripping healthcare away from millions of working families, millions of struggling families, millions of children but also our seniors. Who are longterm care. Who needs extensive care and who have given up their assets in order to qualify for medicaid, they use those assets to pay for it as well as they could and now theyre on medicaid and we are prepared to take those folks, many of them in wheelchairs like deborah unable to walk and throw them into the street and say to back. The president called the house built mean. And indicated he wanted to go with more heart. This is not a bill with more heart. We should not move to proceed with this bill, thank you mister president. Mister president i want to thank my colleague from oregon for his words. That from yesterday, we will leave it here as the