Work they will do. May they seek in all their labors to please and glorify you as you fill them with your grace. May they not become weary in doing what is right, knowing that in due season they will reap if they faint not. Lord, let your peace flood their hearts and help them to realize that it is by your permission that they will breathe their next breath. May they permit lifes problems to make them more dependent on your guidance and strength. We pray in your holy name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell weve been debating obamacares fail use and failures and what to do about them for so many years now. Weve heard so many distress stories from constituents who have been hurt. Thankfully the senate will have a chance to turn the page on the failed law. The entire Senate Conference has been engaged on moving on obamacare for some time. Weve had many productive discussions on the way forward. Were united in our belief that the American People deserve better than obamacares unsustainable status quo. While its disappointing that our democratic colleagues decided early on they didnt want to work seriously with us on solution, Senate Republicans remain focused on the following stabilizing Insurance Markets which are collapsing under obamacare, improving the affordability of Health Insurance, which is spiking under obamacare, freeing americans from obamacares mandates, which forced them to buy insurance they dont want, strengthening medicaid for those who need it the most, and preserving access to care for patients with preexisting conditions. Insurance markets are collapsing under obamacare, we want to stabilize them. Obamacares champions said the law would bring more health care choices, but for far too many, its just the opposite just the opposite has occurred. In the years since obamacares passage, we read story after story about coops collapsing, insurers fleeing, families losing the plans they like, and trusted doctors and hospitals slipping out of reach. Today obamacare is nearing full collapse. Americans in nearly every one of two counties could find themselves with one of two options with obamacare next year. Which is really not a choice at all. Or worse, find themselves without any option at all. The longterm obamacare trend is we have to act and we are. Costs are spiking under obamacare, we want to improve affordability. Obamacares champions said the law would be more affordable, but for too many just the opposite has occurred. In the years since obamacares passage, we received so many calls and letters from families hit with soaring costs and skyrocketing premiums. A report shows premiums in the individual market rose by 500 since the law was fully implemented in 2013. Today the situation continues to spiral out of control. Americans in states across the country could find themselves facing more doubledigit premium increases next year, as high as 30 . We learned just yesterday in Washington State, 32 in North Carolina, 40 in maine. Another recent report showed that nearly two million americans who selected obamacare canceled their coverage. The most common reasons they cited for doing so, it was too expensive. This is not sustainable the we have sustainable. We have to act and we are. Americans are being forced to buy insurance they dont want under obamacare. We want to free them from that mandate. When obamacares champions pushed it on people, families were forced into onerous plans they didnt like or couldnt afford. In the years since obamacares passage, we heard from americans who decided it was simply more affordable for them to take their chances, pay the fine and go without insurance all together. Today obamacares collapse is making the situation even more unfair. Insurance markets are collapsing, leaving americans with fewer options, health costs are spiking, making many of the remaining options even more expensive. That means americans could be left trapped, forced by law to purchase obamacare insurance but left without the means to do so. This longterm obamacare trend is not sustainable. We have to act, and we are. These are just a few of the major areas that the Senate Republicans are focused on as we move away from obamacare. In doing so, we will also work towards strengthening medicaid and preserving access to care for patients with preexisting conditions, two areas of concern for many across the nation. I regret that democrats announced early on that they did not want to be part of a bipartisan process to move past the failures of this law. The obamacare law is collapsing all around us. It will continue to hurt even more americans if we allow the unsustainable status quo to continue. So we have a responsibility to act and Senate Republicans are, working to the, guided by the principles i mentioned, an acting on and acting on behalf of americans that deserve better than the status quo, better than the continued pained continued pain of obamacare. The presiding officer under the previous order, the previous time is reserved. Morning business is closed. The senate will proceed to executive consideration of the nomination which the clerk will report. The clerk nomination, segal mandekrk. The presiding officer the time until 11 00 a. M. Will be equally divided between the two leaderses or designees. Mr. Mcconnell i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the presiding officer the majority whip. Mr. Cornyn mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Cornyn mr. President , we continue to make progress on legislation to clean up the mess left by the meltdown of obamacare, at least insofar as it affects the lives of millions of people who buy their insurance on the individual markets. These are individuals and Small Businesses that dont have the benefit of Large EmployerHealth Care Plans and theyve been devastated by obamacare. This is a rescue mission. Obamacare is collapsing for millions of people and we have to act in the interest of countless families and Small Businesses who are suffering tremendous harm. Ive told the stories myself. Others have likewise told the stories. Weve seen thoars reported in the need those reported in the media. For many people, Health Care Costs, their insurance premiums are skyrocketing. We also know because of the distortion of the Insurance Markets, that Many Insurance Companies are simply pulling out of counties and states around the country so people have no choices when it comes to purchasing their health care on the exchanges. And, of course, many people continue to lose access to their doctors. We need to contrast this with what was promised when obamacare was passed, and i know it sounds repetitive, but im afraid if we lose sight of what the promises were with obamacare, we cant actually calculate the tremendous harm and deception that was involved on delivering on that promise. President obama said if you like your policy, you could keep it. Not true. He said if you like your doctor, you could keep your doctor, also not true. He also said that for a family of four, you would see an average decrease in your premiums of 2,500 a year also not true. Well, what is the response of our democratic friends . We saw last night they took to the senate floor and they gave impassioned speeches. First of all, they criticized the republicans for coming forward to try to rescue people who were being hurt by the failures of obamacare. So they criticized us for that and then they said, well, its a secret bill, after they have rejected every request for them to work with us on a bipartisan basis to rescue the American People who are being hurt by the failures of obamacare. They rejected that. So what did they do . They came to the senate floor and they said they hate the bill that they havent seen yet, and then they said oh, its secret. So i guess it should be one or the other. Either they hate it because they know whats in it or secret, it cant be both. But the fact is we are working hard to meet our own internal deadline because we want to make sure that the people who will be hurt in 2018 when the Insurance Companies raise their premiums by double digits, which they are in the process of getting those approved. It occurs in the julyaugust time frame. Insurance companies have to calculate whats the premium they have to charge, and then they have to go to the state regulators and get approval for that premium increase. And what were being told is the 105 increase in premiums on the exchanges since 2013 thats right, 105 increase, its going to go up 20 or more next year unless we come to the rescue of those being harmed by obamacare. So we would ask our democratic colleagues please dont wear yourself out doing something thats going to accomplish nothing. Channel all that energy and all that passion into trying to do something that will actually help the people being hurt today by the failures of obamacare. They went even further. They said well, they may decide just to obstruct the senates business on other matters that arent Health Care Related until they can get to see the bill, which they will get to see soon, as soon as we get to see the final product. We get it scored by the congressional budget office, and then well have literally a votearama where there will be an opportunity to debate in a fulsome and comprehensive sort of way, an opportunity to offer dozens if not hundreds of amendments to the bill, and well vote. Well vote. Thats what we do. So theres nothing happening in secret here in the here. In the fullness of time, well all see the product that we have been working on. As a result of their refusal to work with us, we have been working on it the best we can to try to accomplish Something Better than the failed status quo of obamacare. Well, were told that they may obstruct the senates other business, including committee work. Thats unrelated to the health care debate, but i guess just in their lashing out, trying to find some ways they can make life a little more difficult here in the senate for our accomplishing other important work as well. Well, i happen to serve on the Senate Intelligence committee. One of the things that we are doing is a comprehensive investigation of the russian active measures that they undertook during the last election. Weve got a Committee Meeting this afternoon. Are democrats really going to obstruct the Senate Intelligence committees work in conducting completing its investigation into russian activities in the 2016 election . Are they really going to do that . It strikes me as nuts. And on thursday, for example, we also have a judiciary Committee Meeting scheduled to consider a critically important bill i have introduced with my colleague from minnesota, senator klobuchar, to help fight Human Trafficking. Human trafficking. Are democrats going to obstruct our ability to conduct our business and block our consideration of bills involving Human Trafficking and providing relief for the victims . This bill reauthorizes key programs and senators survivors, and it provides Additional Resources to federal, state, and local Law Enforcement officials on the front lines of fighting this heinous crime. Will the democratic leader from new york jeopardize the committees ability to actually consider and pass this law . Does he plan to block a member of his own Political Party from advancing her bill to fight Human Trafficking as well . Well, this strikes me as wrong for a number of reasons, and i think it would actually be appalling if our democratic colleagues, out of their frustration, frankly, borne out of their failure to do their job and work with us to find a solution to the meltdown of obamacare, for them to lash out in a way that affected victims of Human Trafficking and affected the senates ability to conduct its investigation into the russian activities involved in our elections. Now is not the time to grandstand and make damaging symbolic gestures like this, because while our democratic colleagues talked a lot last week, we didnt hear anything from them about the current realities of obamacare and how it has failed the American People. They seem to be whistling by the graveyard. We didnt hear anything about rising costs or lacking choices. I talked to one of my democratic colleagues this morning. He told me his own son was looking at 7,500 premiums a year and a 5,000 deductible. This friend, a democrat and i wont reveal his name because i dont think it would be appropriate to do so told me his own son had to spend 12,500 out of pocket before his insurance actually kicked in. Thats a disaster, not just for his son but for millions of people negatively affected by obamacare. Yet our friends across the aisle want to flail about, threaten to block trafficking legislation or an investigation into the russian involvement in the election. The only thing they havent done is offer a constructive alternative. Thats the only thing they havent done. They have tried about everything else. And you know why, of course. Because we know what the alternative is. Basically, they did obamacare all by themselves. I remember, i was here on the senate floor in 2010, on christmas eve. I think it was about 7 30 in the morning when we had the vote out of the senate that passed obamacare. It was pure partyline vote. So the democrats have had it all to themselves to design a Health Care System that they thought america should have. And its failed time and time again. But you know what their current proposal is right now . Well, its a single payer option that puts our country even more in debt and we know it doesnt work. The reason we know it doesnt work is because it will no doubt emulate things like the British NationalHealth Service which has resulted in twotiered health care, health care for people who cant otherwise afford to pay out of their pocket to get Better Health care with all of the problems of governmentrun health care added to it. The far left elements of the Democratic Party want a plan that goes even further than obamacare. That, i believe, could be ultimately their goal, one that would increase Government Spending on health care by 518. 9 billion just this year, ballooning to 6. 6 trillion between 2017 and 2026, according to the urban institute. And take a look at the state of california where a similar proposal of a singlepayer system was pushed at the state level there, enacting a singlepayer system that would add 400 billion each year to the california state budget. I think thats roughly double the amount of the whole budget for the state of california. 400 billion each year. So it strikes me that at least one conclusion you might draw from this is that our democratic friends, rather than trying to work in a bipartisan way with us to save people who are being hurt from the failures of what obamacare of obamacare, that their solution is lets throw more money at it. Lets throw more money at it. Well, thats not going to work. What it will do, it will add to our National Debt without solving the health care problem, and it will further burden future generations who will have to pay that money back at some point. We already have about 20 trillion of National Debt. These young people up here serving as pages, you know, are going to have to deal with that, i guess, unless we have the courage to do it ourselves. That strikes me as profoundly immoral. For us to spend the money today and say, well, our kids and grandkids are going to have to pay it back later. Thats immoral. Well, if we thought obamacare crushed any semblance of come petition in the health care marketplace, the singlepayer plan from our friend, senator Bernie Sanders from vermont, who is the chief spokesman for the democrats in the senate on what an alternative might look like, senator sanders plan removes competition completely because its a government takeover. It takes away even more authority from state and local governments, and it takes away choices from individuals. Forget if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Forget all of that because its the opposite of what American Families have repeatedly asked for. But this is what the extreme factions in the Democratic Party want. They want to expand government, they want even the larger takeover of health care, and they want to simply throw more money at it, as if we arent spending enough money already. Throwing more money at the problem certainly wont fix it, and i suggest it will make things only worse. So we need to be realistic about what it will take to rework our Health Care System and put patients first. Now, i am under no illusion that what republicans are going to be able to come up with on our own, given the constraints of the fact the democrats wont work with us at all and appear not to be in the business of lifting a finger to help the mi