Connecticut Democrats did not mince words about the failure of the American Health Care Act to generate enough support to be brought to a vote before Congress on March 24.
“Trumpcare should be finally declared dead ”“ a demise it richly deserves,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “Republicans should abandon their continuing campaign to disparage and dismantle the Affordable Care Act ”“ by executive order or otherwise ”“ and instead build on the law and improve health care for all Americans.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, was equally dismissive of the GOP bill. “The American people rose up and demanded Washington stop this cruel and inhumane bill. That”™s a good thing for the country,” he said.
“But it might not be dead for long,” he added. “President Trump and Republicans in Congress will no doubt try to revive this disaster or continue their efforts to undermine Obamacare. Donald Trump said his health care plan would cover everyone and lower costs. The bill did exactly the opposite, and that is why it failed.”
Prior to the scheduled vote, a poll by Quinnipiac University found Trumpcare was opposed by 56 percent of the voters and supported by only 17 percent.
Gov. Dannel Malloy, speaking on MSNBC as news broke of the Republicans”™ decision not to pursue a vote, said: “The only thing that”™s gone well for the president in the last 60 days is his golf game. This is a good day for America.”
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, who chairs the state”™s health insurance exchange Access Health CT, tweeted: “Good news for CT & the nation as House pulls #Trumpcare vote. We must improve #ACA to make healthcare & coverage affordable for all.”
State Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who represents Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Newtown and Sherman, among others, added: “The Affordable Care Act has problems that we need to work together to fix. The American Health Care Act would solve none of these problems, and the American people know it. Instead of lowering costs or improving the quality of care, this bill would force millions of Americans to pay more money for worse coverage.
“Americans throughout the country ”“ including the thousands of folks in my district who called and emailed me ”“ have sent a loud and clear message to Congress that they oppose this cruel and destructive proposal,” Esty added. “Today, their voices were heard. We won”™t fix the problems in our health care system with just one party negotiating against itself. Let”™s start fresh on a bipartisan plan that will improve access to quality health care, lower premiums, reduce out-of-pocket expenses and bring down drug costs.”
