Heinrich Rejects Republican Health Care Bill, Says It’s Everything We Feared It Would Be

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is rejecting the health care proposal released today by Senate Republicans. For weeks, a small group of Senate Republicans worked behind closed doors without bipartisan input to draft the bill based on the health care bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

“This train wreck of a health care bill seems to be everything we feared it would be. It looks an awful lot like the disastrous health care bill that passed in the House, which we know would leave average New Mexico families paying thousands of dollars more for less health coverage, destroy the Medicaid program as it currently exists, and throw our entire health care system into chaos. I am stunned that President Trump and Senate Republicans seem determined to rush through such a massive piece of legislation that was negotiated in secret with zero public input or hearings,” said Senator Heinrich. “I urge President Trump and Republicans to listen to the millions of Americans who are saying loud and clear that it’s time to turn the page on this reckless path so we can finally get to work on actually fixing those things in the current health care system that need work. I will do everything I can to oppose this appalling legislation and fight to keep quality health care accessible and affordable for all New Mexicans.”

Earlier this week, Senator Heinrich spoke on the Senate floor about the devastating consequences that TrumpCare would have in New Mexico, particularly in rural communities and for women, low-income families, children, and people with pre-existing conditions. He shared stories from New Mexicans who stand to lose if Republicans are successful at passing their health care bill.

Senator Heinrich, who is the Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee, also participated in a forum yesterday entitled, “America Speaks Out: How the Republican Health Care Bill Would Devastate Rural America.” During his opening statement, Senator Heinrich emphasized the impact the Republican health care bill will have on rural hospitals. He highlighted some of the findings in a new Joint Economic Committee Democrats report, “TrumpCare Threatens Rural Hospitals.” The report describes how the health care sector employs 17 percent of all workers in rural counties. In more than 40 percent of rural counties in the U.S., hospitals account for more than 10 percent of the county’s total employment. In addition, Senator Heinrich pointed to a new list of “Ten Ways Congress Could Support Rural Americans” offering solutions on how Congress can actually help support rural America.

Senator Heinrich cosponsored Democratic legislation called the "No Hearing, No Vote Act" that would require the Senate to hold hearings before a final vote could be held on any bill — like TrumpCare — that is being fast-tracked using a process called budget reconciliation.