Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement in reaction to the failure of the Senate Republican health care bill:
This failed vote on the latest Republican bill should finally break the fever and convince every senator that the only path forward on health care is to scrap their repeal efforts and work with Democrats in an open process to improve the Affordable Care Act.
Health care is a matter of life and death. It affects every person in this country. The American people did not deserve the process that got us to this point, but I’m hopeful that my Republican colleagues have found a small grain of wisdom.
Their closed process, which shut out doctors, patients, families, hospitals, health plans and advocates, yielded terrible bill after terrible bill.
Let’s recap: Under the House bill, 24 million Americans would lose coverage and protections for those with pre-existing conditions would be gutted.
Under the first Senate bill, at least 22 million Americans would lose coverage, Medicaid would be cut by 35 percent and insurance companies could offer junk plans that don’t cover serious illnesses like cancer.
Under the second Senate bill, up to 32 million Americans would lose coverage and premiums would increase by 25 percent more than projected next year alone.
Under the third Senate bill, 16 million Americans would lose coverage, premiums would increase by 20 percent more than projected next year and Planned Parenthood would be defunded.
Over the coming days and months, I implore my colleagues, talk to people. Talk to the doctors who run our country’s first-rate children’s hospitals. Talk to patients struggling with cancer, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Talk to mothers of children with extraordinary health care needs. Talk to health care professionals who manage nursing homes. Talk to insurance commissioners. Talk to public and elected officials.
We owe it to the American people to work together, and I stand ready and willing to do that.