McConnell Introduces Repeal of Health Spending Bill

Press Release

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday after introducing the House-passed repeal bill as an amendment:

"What we have today is an opportunity. An opportunity for the Majority to reevaluate what it has done on the issue of health care.

"And take another path.

"It's no secret the American people don't like the health bill that passed last year. And if you've talked with doctors or nurses or anybody else involved in health care over the last year, most of them will tell you they don't like it either.

"Employers big and small have been desperately trying to get the message across of how damaging this bill will be to their ability to create jobs.

"They tell us the impact of this bill is severe.

"Higher taxes. Penalties for hiring workers. New regulations that already run to more than 6,000 pages. Mountains of new paperwork.

"All this at a time at a time when businesses want to create jobs, and millions of Americans are looking for one.

"Don't take it from me. Here's how the National Federation of Independent Businesses puts it:

`Small business owners everywhere,' the NFIB has said, `are rightfully concerned that the unconstitutional new mandates, countless rules and new taxes in the healthcare law will devastate their business and their ability to create jobs.'

"And now, yesterday, a federal court in Florida found the crux of the law to be unconstitutional.

"So we have an opportunity today.

"For all those who supported the health law, it's an opportunity to reevaluate your vote.

"To listen to your constituents who are desperately trying to get your attention.

"You can say, perhaps this was a mistake. We can do this better.

"Or you can continue to dismiss the majority of the people in this country as not knowing what they're talking about.

"It's not every day that you can get a second chance on a big decision after you know all the facts.

"Today is one of those days.

"For all of us who opposed the health bill: today we reaffirm our commitment to work a little harder to get it right.

"We can't afford to get it wrong.

"So I urge all my colleagues to move beyond party affiliation.

"Just look at the facts before us.

"If everyone in this chamber evaluated this bill for what it is, we'd repeal it right now.

"And then we'd begin the work of achieving our mutual goal of delivering health care at a higher quality for lower costs.

"Let's take this opportunity."

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