WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) made the following statement after Senate Democrats announced they will halt Senate floor activity in protest of Republicans’ secretive attempts to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
“Just as we saw in the House, Senate Republicans are drafting a healthcare bill behind closed doors that will strip insurance away from millions of people. Like their colleagues, Senate Republicans continue to write the AHCA bill in unprecedented secrecy, with no public bill text, hearings or debates.”
“Today, we applaud Senate Democrats, who are taking to the floor to condemn Republican attempts to take away healthcare from millions of people in total darkness. The public deserves to see the details of this bill, which, if anything like the House version, will give the wealthiest huge tax cuts at the expense of seniors, women, people with disabilities, and working families. We urge Senate Democrats to use every tactic at their disposal to expose these back-door negotiations and bring this disastrous bill into the spotlight. If Senate Republicans insist on subverting the democratic process and violating their most basic duties to govern transparently, Democrats should be prepared to exhaust all legislative tools to protect the health of millions of people and expose this Republican sham.”
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is the largest caucus within the House Democratic Caucus, with over 70 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and promote civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, a $15 national minimum wage, fair trade, gun violence reform, debt-free college, and making the federal government a Model Employer.
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