Ways and Means Democrats Demand Fair, Informed Consideration of GOP Health Care Repeal Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Ways and Means Committee Democrats urged Chairman Kevin Brady to refrain from holding a full committee markup of any legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act without conducting a single hearing or obtaining a score from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and any estimates from the Joint Committee on Taxation. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Tax Policy Subcommittee, issued the following statement:
"Any attempt to force a vote on a bill that strips healthcare from millions of Americans without transparent discussion or even a cost estimate represents a total miscarriage of justice. It is an insult to the American people," said Congressman Doggett. "They deserve to know exactly how they would be impacted by this bill, which will likely radically alter their ability to secure adequate health insurance coverage. Do not jam this bill down Americans' throats. Robust and transparent deliberation is crucial, especially when the lives and wellbeing of so many American families are at stake – without it, democracy will crumble."
Congressman Doggett will speak further regarding this matter at a press conference with other Ways and Means Committee Democrats today at 1pm EST.
You may view the full letter below.
The Honorable Kevin Brady, Chairman
House Committee on Ways and Means
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Transparency and Openness in Health Care Discussions
Dear Chairman Brady,
As rumors continue to proliferate surrounding the Republican plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act and radically change the way health coverage is provided to American families, we write to express our strong opposition to any decision to hold a full committee markup without first holding hearings. With any legislation, this type of hasty, partisan action would be cause for alarm. With legislation that would drastically alter health coverage for Americans, robust and transparent discussions are even more critical, as the lives and wellbeing of millions of Americans families hang in the balance.
Families throughout the United States are anxious about whether their care will be protected if Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act. They are calling our offices, attending town halls, and asking us whether it is true that the new Republican plan will cause them to lose their coverage, pay higher premiums, or be hit with new taxes on their employer-provided plans. The public deserves transparent and deliberative hearings where their elected representatives can question experts and Administration officials on how American families will be impacted by this bill.
In an interview with the Washington Post on January 15, 2017, President Trump said, "We're going to have insurance for everybody." In an interview on ABC on January 25, 2017, he said, "We are going to have a better plan, much better health care, much better service treatment, a plan where you can have access to the doctor you want and the plan that you want. We're going to have a much better health care plan at much less money."
We are willing to support a health care plan that delivers more quality coverage at a lower cost to the American people. But before any markup of legislation that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act, we request hearings in this Committee that include a witness from the Trump Administration who can answer Members' questions regarding how the Republican plan upholds the president's promise of "a much better health care plan at much less money."
We also wish to express our alarm over any markup of new provisions and titles that have not been appropriately explored with subject matter experts. For example, a draft bill that was leaked to the media on February 24, included a tax on employer-based health coverage. This would be the first time that working Americans would be subject to this new type of tax. There is significant confusion and debate over how this would impact the budgets of working families and the middle class. We ask that the Committee ensure that experts and staff are available to discuss this and other issues in open, transparent hearings, before any markup is held on legislative text. This should include representatives from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO), who can thoroughly explain any associated costs—a vital consideration in evaluating the legislation. We also express our strong opposition to any attempt to mark up this bill before receiving a score from the CBO and estimates from the JCT.
We know firsthand the importance of engaging with the public and with colleagues across the aisle when legislating health policy. Prior to the approval of the Affordable Care Act, we held more than 100 hours of hearings and considered testimony from 181 bipartisan witnesses. Three House committees of jurisdiction held hearings on the public draft in June 2009, and the three considered a total of 239 bipartisan amendments after the legislation was officially introduced in July. Members had nearly five months to examine the legislative text between when the first draft was made public and its passage in November 2009. And this transparency was not limited to action inside the Beltway—Democratic Members held more than 3,000 health care town halls and public events during the course of deliberation on the Affordable Care Act to discuss its effect on local communities.
At that time, one of the major public demands was that Members "read the bill." As members of one of the committees with primary jurisdiction, we did and continue to take that responsibility seriously, and expect to be able to read and review bills that come before us. We are concerned that an extensive bill may be presented for Committee consideration with as little as 24 hours' notice. That, of course, would be a highly insufficient time for Members to read thoroughly and to research the potential impact of a new law.
The Ways and Means Committee bears a heavy responsibility to the American people, who deserve similar transparency as you attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. We respectfully urge you to schedule hearings this month on any legislation that would repeal or radically alter the coverage and benefits provided through the Affordable Care Act, and thereafter to permit at least a week for us to read and review legislative text.
We look forward to your prompt reply.
Sincerely,
House Ways and Means Committee Democrats