Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today after Speaker Ryan abruptly ended consideration of TrumpCare in the U.S. House of Representatives:
“Today, Democrats and Republicans came together to say no to TrumpCare.
“This devastating bill would have taken away healthcare from 24 million Americans, forced older Americans to pay an ‘age tax’, and allowed insurances companies to refuse to cover essential benefits such as maternity care, prescription drugs, and hospitalization.
“This bill was drafted in the dead of night, rammed through Congress without a single legislative hearing, and brought to the Floor without a final Congressional Budget Office score because Republicans did not want the American people to know what was in it.
“The degree of hypocrisy throughout this process has been matched only by the recklessness shown by President Trump and Republican leaders in nearly destroying the American healthcare system overnight.
“While I am relieved that we successfully defeated TrumpCare for now, I know that the battle to protect Americans’ healthcare is not over. Let today serve as a reminder that the American people will not sit idly by while Republicans in Congress try to take healthcare away from millions of hardworking Americans and our most vulnerable in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest and corporations. Now is the time to come together to build on the progress of the Affordable Care Act."
