Today, the Ranking Members of the House Committees on Education and the Workforce, Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Budget denounced the budget reconciliation language expected to come before their committees in the coming days. Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Budget Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) issued the following joint statement:
“The Republicans are marking up this legislation, which amounts to the 61st attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act, to win votes from recalcitrant Republicans for a clean Continuing Resolution. Rather than working to keep the government open, their focus is on pushing through bills that effectively gut the ACA and the protections it provides to workers and families.
“This legislation is nothing more than an irresponsible attempt by the Republican Majority to put politics over people. We see this attempt as insincere and a waste of the time for Members of Congress, particularly as we close in on the end of another fiscal year without a responsible approach to the appropriations needed to keep our government functioning.
“We stand ready to work with our colleagues to responsibly improve and strengthen the Affordable Care Act. Unfortunately, this week’s irresponsible action is a distraction from the work we could be doing on a bipartisan basis and shows, once again, that the Republicans are more interested in grandstanding than governing."
