Preventing Paygo Sequestration

Floor Speech

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Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Speaker, the pandemic was a problem that led some healthcare providers to close their doors. In a bipartisan way, in the previous session of Congress, we made an effort to fix that problem.

Now, because of the Democrats' irresponsible spending bill, healthcare providers who are struggling will see decreased payments, which is the last thing they need right now, and it is the last thing we need right now.

Medicare reimbursement rates are already low, only balanced out by non-Medicare payments. The better way is to target the funding to those who need it and are still working to come out of the pandemic. We can fill the gaps without adding to the deficit.

Wasn't the idea of a rescue to improve access to care? Yet, 9 percent of the $1.9 trillion really went to address the COVID crisis.

They bailed out failed pension funds without reform and ignored our doctors and healthcare providers on the front lines of the pandemic. They cut payments to caregivers. $1.9 trillion, yet cuts to healthcare providers during a pandemic.

What Democrats are trying to do today is ignore the negative consequences of the bill they passed earlier this month. The consequences of the bill passed 2 weeks ago means there will be payment cuts to providers.

$1.9 trillion? Someone should be helped in this measure, but we can do better. We can do better, but we weren't talked to for our ideas.

Mr. Speaker, Members should ask themselves: What about all of this today? Will the next several generations of Americans look to us and say thank you as they get stuck with paying our bills?

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