WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that oversees healthcare policy, released the following statement regarding the latest news reports on Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
“The American people have spoken. It is time for Republicans to ‘stick a fork in it’ and recognize once and for all that their partisan bill to repeal and destroy the Affordable Care Act is dead and cannot be resuscitated.
“But our offer of bipartisan cooperation is still very much alive.
“The only way we’re going to lower premiums, improve coverage and create a more sustainable health care system is for Republicans to work with Democrats on real solutions to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, not kill it. Rather than rooting for failure, or sabotaging the gains we’ve made – and literally putting millions of American lives at risk – Republicans should join us.
“So, let’s pull the plug on this partisan process and return to regular order. That means allowing our committees to work, it means holding public hearings and open discussions with stakeholders, and most of all, it means listening to the American people who want us to fight for them by improving the ACA.
“I’m ready to get to work.”
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