Video of Udall's remarks:
https://www.facebook.com/senatortomudall/videos/10155245263792870/
Video of Heinrich's remarks:
https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/statements-and-speeches/heinrich-floor-speech-on-trumpcare
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, gave back-to-back speeches on the Senate floor about the devastating consequences that TrumpCare would have in New Mexico, particularly in rural communities and for women, low-income families, and people with pre-existing conditions. Udall and Heinrich said they believe the consequences for the state would be so severe, they wanted to speak together on behalf of New Mexicans who would lose their health insurance as a result of the Republican bill. Senate Republicans have been working behind closed doors to draft a bill based on the one that passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The Senate Republican bill is being fast-tracked and as a result could go to the Senate floor for a vote as early as next week even though it has never received a single hearing and only a few Republican senators have ever seen it.
Udall and Heinrich have cosponsored Democratic legislation called the "No Hearing, No Vote Act" that would require the Senate to hold hearings before a final vote could be held on any bill — like TrumpCare — that is being fast-tracked using a process called budget reconciliation.
"On May 4th of this year -- the day the House Republicans narrowly passed TrumpCare -- the president held a celebration in the White House, in the Rose Garden. He pronounced the bill, 'a great plan'…. TrumpCare is not a 'great plan' if you are over age 62 or are a hardworking family trying to make ends meet, if you live in a rural area or, if you have or have had an illness -- like cancer or heart disease or diabetes, or if you are a woman. Twenty-three million Americans will be left high and dry -- out of health insurance by 2026. They don’t think TrumpCare is a great plan. To them, it is a 'mean' plan," Udall said in his speech. Udall also shared the stories of several New Mexicans, including 4-year-old Kitt with Type 1 diabetes, and the Loving School Superintendent, whose rural school district could lose its Medicaid coverage that allows them to provide vision, hearing and mental health treatment to students. "The American people don’t want the benefits they have gained through Obamacare to be repealed and replaced with an inferior plan. They do not support TrumpCare…. With this degree of public opposition – it is baffling that Republicans keep pushing a bill that kicks 23 million Americans off of their health care."
“Last month, President Trump and Republicans in the House rushed through a disastrous health care bill that would leave average New Mexico families paying thousands of dollars more for less health coverage, destroy the Medicaid program as it currently exists, and throw our entire health care system into chaos,” Heinrich said in his speech. Senator Heinrich spoke about the many New Mexicans who have shared their stories on how access to health care coverage has helped their families and in some cases even saved their lives. He shared the story of Brittany from Aztec whose two young children were diagnosed with a rare form of food allergies and now have full health coverage because of Medicaid – stating that Medicaid was lifesaving for her family. “I urge President Trump and my Republican colleagues here in the Senate to listen to Brittany’s urgent message. Our common goal—regardless of whether we are Republicans or Democrats— that we should all be working toward is making quality health care more accessible and more affordable for all Americans.”
Udall's full remarks can be found here and Heinrich's full remarks can be found here .
