Trump signs executive order on Healthcare (page 2)

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House Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH, 8th)

“As a manufacturer and job creator a little over one year ago, I can appreciate that this order expands the ability of small businesses and their employees to participate in new types of health insurance arrangements which is why I supported a similar measure that passed the House earlier this year. While this order makes many positive strides concerning healthcare affordability, Congress must act to make these and other reforms permanent. More importantly, Congress cannot simply give up on our promise and accept failure on Obamacare repeal. Republicans in Congress, and particularly in the Senate, need to pick up the torch and repeal Obamacare so families in Ohio and across the country can finally have the relief they were promised.”

Diana Degette (D-CO, 1st)

“This latest act of sabotage by the failing Trump presidency against the ACA will cause a million people to lose insurance in just the first year, drive up premiums and out-of-pocket payments for the rest and cause damaging instability in the insurance markets,” DeGette said. “President Trump is trying to achieve via edict what he couldn’t do through legislation: Dismantle the ACA and replace it with a cruel system that punishes the most vulnerable. This is Trumpcare by a thousand cuts.

“Congress needs to act immediately to provide funding for the cost-sharing reductions,” DeGette noted. “And we must work together in a bipartisan fashion to improve health care coverage in this country, rather than ripping it to bits.”

John Delaney (D-MD, 6th)

“Once again, President Trump is taking a completely backwards approach on health care: instead of trying to solve problems, he is deliberately creating them and instead of trying to expand access to coverage, he is deliberately trying to take it away.

“There’s no attempt at good policy here, no attempt at serving the people, just a blind and frenzied effort to secure some kind of political ‘win’ at any cost, all with nary a voice in his own party willing to speak out. We truly need thoughtful and responsible Republicans to stand up and put country before party, because we can’t let our great country be governed by tweets and empty slogans anymore. Decisions like this have a direct impact on people’s lives. There are bipartisan solutions in front of us that could fix the individual marketplaces – let’s put petty politics aside and actually do what’s right.”

Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA, 11th)

“This is yet another attack by President Trump to undermine the success and stability of the ACA. This irresponsible decision will make it easier for insurance companies to discriminate against Americans with pre-existing conditions and take advantage of those most in need of affordable, comprehensive health coverage. It is appalling that this Administration, despite public opposition, is prioritizing reckless campaign promises over working on behalf of the American people to improve our health care system.”

Debbie Dingell (D-MI, 12th)

“This spiteful decision by President Trump will have devastating consequences for the health care that families, seniors and children rely upon. The President’s action does nothing to improve care or bring down costs for the American people, which should be a shared goal of the President and every Member of Congress. Instead, this decision will directly result in higher costs for working families, create instability in the marketplace, and result in millions being uninsured in 2018.

“This is absolutely unacceptable. The American people have rejected Trumpcare time and again. Since the President was unsuccessful in ramming his awful repeal bill through Congress, he has taken it upon himself to dismantle health care for the American people. This is shameful. President Trump is directly responsible for the negative impacts this will have on families across the country. Congressional Republicans should work with Democrats to reinstate these critical payments and improve, not undermine, the health care Americans depend upon.”

Scott DesJarlais (R-TN, 4th)

“Since its inception, Obamacare has failed America’s middle class, bearing the brunt of increased health care costs, fewer insurance options and a decline in the quality of medical care, as doctors and facilities disappear, particularly in rural districts like mine. Because of excessive taxes and regulations, employers are dropping coverage. At the same time, insurers have fled state exchanges, and millions remain uninsured.

“More federal interference, such as single-payer, is the wrong answer. Giving workers, families and small businesses more choice and flexibility is the right one. The President’s order should help Tennesseans negotiate better prices, find inexpensive, short-term insurance, if necessary, and take advantage of tax-free accounts to purchase better health care. But ultimately, Congress must pass free-market reforms Republicans have advocated for years. The Senate must act.”

Eliot Engel (D-NY, 16th)

“The President’s decision to cut off cost-sharing reduction payments is his most outrageous act of sabotage against our health care system yet.

“These payments enable insurers to keep consumers’ out-of-pocket costs down. Per the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), ending them will cause premiums to rise and spur insurers to leave markets, in turn leaving Americans with fewer choices – the exact opposite of what the President has promised for months.

“If the President truly believed that action was needed on Congress’s part, he would have called on Congress to act. I have cosponsored the Marketplace Certainty Act, along with dozens of my colleagues, to appropriate funding for the cost-sharing reduction payments and remove any ambiguity on this issue. But, instead, the President chose to put millions of Americans’ health care at risk.

“Just yesterday, the President signed an Executive Order that could bring back the junk insurance policies that, before the ACA, offered little value for your money and punished sick people for their health status. Now, he’s doubled-down with a move that will hike up premiums and limit consumer choice. All of this amounts to the same ‘pay more, get less’ plan that the American people rejected in Trumpcare.

“Make no mistake: any instability in our health care system going forward will be a direct consequence of the President’s actions over the past two days. There is no reason for the President to make this move other than to hurt Americans. I am deeply saddened that in his desperation to see the ACA fail, he has made this egregious decision.”

Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT, 3rd)

“President Trump’s unilateral latest decision to stop making cost-sharing reduction payments will increase premiums for millions of Americans and will destabilize the marketplaces. The President is dead wrong when he calls these payments ‘bailouts.’ The truth is that they help people with modest means reduce their out-of-pocket healthcare costs. This action hurts the working and middle class Americans that President Trump promised to advocate for. He has now turned his back on them and is using them as a bargaining chip.”

“Congressional Republicans must immediately come to the table and work with Democrats to ensure these vital payments are continued and to make healthcare more affordable.”

KAPTUR URGES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO RELEASE NAVIGATOR FUNDING TO HELP CITIZENS ENROLL IN HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS

Source: House Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH, 9th)

Washington, D.C. - September 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) has sent a letter urging the Trump administration to release promised funding for the Affordable Care Act’s Navigator enrollment assistance grant program. The letter was led by Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) and cosigned by 31 House Democrats.

“Navigators are an essential resource for the American people, and the Navigator program is critical to the success of Open Enrollment. We urge you to unfreeze these funds immediately,” the Members wrote. “Americans already face a number of new hurdles to enrolling in coverage during the upcoming Open Enrollment period, including an enrollment timeframe that has been cut in half and a 90% cut to the outreach budget that could have informed consumers about this significant change. Destabilizing the Navigator program could further compound the challenges consumers will face in understanding when and how to enroll.”

The letter, addressed to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma, notes that on Friday, September 1st, HHS unexpectedly froze committed funding for the Navigator grant period that was scheduled to begin on Saturday, September 2nd. As of Monday, September 11th, grantees had received no update on when they should expect to receive this essential funding. The letter urges that funds be released immediately with a retroactive date of September 2nd.

Members noted Navigators’ significance in keeping the Marketplaces stable, writing: “Helping Americans sign up for Marketplace coverage has many benefits, including strengthening the risk pool of the individual health insurance market. Conversely, discouraging enrollment could weaken the market and drive up premiums.”

Shea-Porter Submits Amendment to Save ACA’s Navigator Program

Source: House Representative Carol Shea Porter (D NH, 1st)



Washington, D.C. - September 5, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) has submitted an amendment that would save the Affordable Care Act’s Navigator enrollment assistance grant program from elimination in this week’s House omnibus appropriations bill.

“Navigators provide an essential, free service to people in New Hampshire and around the country who need help finding the best plan for their needs and budget,” said Shea-Porter. “Comparing coverage options can be confusing, especially for people who haven’t had insurance in the past. I’ve seen New Hampshire Navigators’ skill and compassion firsthand, which is why I’m fighting to protect this essential community program from partisan Washington attacks.”

The enrollment assistance program, which provided $600,000 for New Hampshire grantees to hire Navigators last year, faces escalating threats from the Trump administration and House Republicans. On Friday, the Trump administration proposed cutting the Navigator program by $23 million, while this week’s House Republican Omnibus bill would completely eliminate the program by prohibiting any funding for Navigator grants during the upcoming fiscal year. Shea-Porter’s amendment strikes this prohibition and instructs the Administration to return $3 million to the Navigator program. Earlier this year, the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), which administers the Navigator program, transferred $3 million in Navigator funding to conduct an anti-ACA study.

“Without local Navigator support, individuals and their families may lack information to make a thoughtful decision on insurance coverage options,” said Tess Stack Kuenning, President and CEO of Bi-State Primary Care Association, one of New Hampshire’s Navigator grantees. “Navigators are an ongoing community resource to help ensure that New Hampshire families have the coverage they need to stay healthy.”

Since its inception, the Navigator program has helped educate over 9 million consumers about their coverage options. In New Hampshire, Navigators work through the Bi-State Primary Care Association and the state’s Community Health Centers to provide impartial information about Marketplace plans, help consumers understand and evaluate all their options and apply for federal tax subsidies to lower the cost of premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and assist residents throughout the enrollment process.

On Wednesday (Sept 6), the House Rules Committee will decide whether Shea-Porter’s amendment is in order for a House floor vote later in the week.

U.S. Rep. Castor on the Trump Administration's Sabotage of ACA Open Enrollment Outreach

Source: House Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL, 14th)

In the spirit of not lowering myself to the standard of the Main-Stream Media, I am posting this at The Ponder because it is from a House Representative, and we do believe in Freedom of Speech. I may not like what you have to say, but I will fight for your right to say it. This is from a Democrat "Never Trumper". Go figure.

Washington, D.C. - September 5, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s latest "sabotage" of the health care of American families – devastating cuts to outreach efforts for the upcoming ACA marketplace open enrollment season:


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“President Trump's sabotage of affordable health care for hardworking families is cruel and misguided. Consumers want lower costs, affordable choices and a healthy insurance market. His decision to slash outreach and marketing is a bad business decision too. Thanks to previous outreach efforts, Floridians led the nation in sign-ups through HealthCare.gov and the Affordable Care Act. The ACA is here to stay, but it needs updating, not sabotage.

“This announcement comes just two months before open enrollment begins, and I urge my colleagues to join Democrats in stabilizing the marketplaces for 2018, including by guaranteeing cost-sharing reduction payments and ensuring Americans looking for affordable coverage have access to full information.

“The Trump Administration's massive cuts to outreach and our "navigators" will hit the University of South Florida and partners particularly hard as USF consecutively won the largest navigator grants in the country over the past 2 years. We all must work together to ensure that Florida families are not left in the lurch. Open enrollment runs Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.”

U.S. Rep. Castor serves as Vice Ranking Member of the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee, and helped to draft the Affordable Care Act to ensure it works for families and businesses. Since ACA enrollment started in 2013, Florida has led the nation in the number of sign-ups on healthcare.gov – last year 1.7 million Floridians enrolled in the Affordable Care Act.

Uncertainty looms ahead for GOP effort to repeal and replace Affordable Care Act

Alaska Dispatch News

WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans on Friday glumly confronted the wreckage of their seven-year quest to abolish the Affordable Care Act, blaming each other and President Donald Trump for the dramatic early-morning collapse of the effort but finding no consensus on a way forward.

Some GOP lawmakers clung to long-shot hopes that some version of the legislation might be revived and that a deal might yet be struck before the fall. But the Senate's rejection early Friday of a last-ditch, bare-bones proposal to roll back just a few key planks of the law left GOP leaders with few options for uniting their sharply polarized ranks.

Hours later, House Republicans gathered in the Capitol to take stock of the situation. Some raised the prospect of abandoning their long-standing pledge to "repeal and replace" the ACA and instead working with Democrats to shore up weak spots in the law known as Obamacare. But Trump signaled little interest in that approach, leaving many lawmakers baffled about how to proceed.

"I'm not a prophet," said Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., who helped push an earlier version of the repeal bill through the House. "I don't know what comes next."

[Democrats urge investigations into Trump administration efforts to pressure Murkowski]

Politically, the collapse of the repeal effort is potentially devastating for Republicans. It leaves Trump without a significant policy achievement in the critical first six months of his presidency; it casts a pall over the party's coming drives to pass a budget and overhaul the tax code; and it exposes GOP lawmakers to rising anger from their conservative base.

Read more...

Congress fails to repeal Affordable Care Act

Washington, D.C. - July 27, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released the following statement on his vote against the amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement plan:

“I agree with President Trump that we should repeal and replace major parts of the Affordable Care Act at the same time. In 2015, we could have waited two years for relief, but we cannot now, when Tennessee insurance commissioner Julie McPeak says the state’s individual insurance market is ‘very near collapse.’ We have 350,000 Tennesseans who buy insurance in the individual market—songwriters, small businessmen and women, farmers—who are worried today that they may have zero options for insurance in just six months.

“In addition, I don’t think Tennesseans would be comfortable canceling insurance for 22 million Americans, and trusting Congress to find a replacement in two years. Pilots like to know where they’re going to land when they take off, and we should too.”

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) issued the below statement following today’s vote on President Trump and Senate Republicans’ latest bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

“Tonight is a victory for the millions of Americans who will not lose health coverage because Senate Republicans failed to pass their latest disgraceful attempt at a health repeal bill.”

“This is also a victory for the thousands upon thousands of Americans across the country who rallied, marched, and called their Senator to demand the right to affordable, quality health care. Your voices were heard. Tonight’s failed vote is a testament to your power – the power of the people, which we all know is greater than the people in power.”

“In the United States, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make or where you live – you should have access to quality, affordable health care, because health care is a human right.”

“The fight isn’t over. Republicans in both chambers have made it clear they’ll stop at nothing to enact their dangerous agenda. If we don’t stop them, they'll strip health coverage from millions of Americans, raise premiums, and gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions. We must remain vigilant and continue speaking up and out against those who would prefer to play politics with the nation’s health care system rather than earnestly work to improve it.”

Aguilar Joins Congressional Hispanic Caucus to Warn House Republicans of Consequences of Repealing the Affordable Care Act

Washington, D.C. - January 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Rep. Pete Aguilar joined members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to warn House Republicans of the ramifications of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“We'll go back to the days when people were denied coverage for having pre-existing conditions, where preventative screenings weren't covered and when simply being a woman was a pre-existing condition. That's shameful. It is unforgivable that House Republicans would choose to go back to that,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “In my community of San Bernardino County, 67 percent of health care recipients are from communities of color…House Republicans have viciously and mercilessly argued against strengthening the ACA because they claim to know better. It's been over six years – what’s your plan?”

According to Health Access California, repealing the Affordable Care Act without replacing it would cause an estimated 20 billion dollar loss to California health care. Recent data shows that nearly 40,000 residents in California’s 31st Congressional district and approximately five million throughout California have enrolled in Covered California since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. Additionally, nearly 200,000 San Bernardino County residents and over 80,000 people in California’s 31st Congressional District now receive health care through Medi-Cal since the ACA expansion.

Rep. Aguilar serves as the Whip of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He is committed to working with House Democrats and Republicans to improve the Affordable Care Act so it works for all Americans.