06.21.17

Durbin: All It Takes Is Three Republican Senators to Step Up and Stop Secret Health Care Repeal Bill

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today pressed Senate Republicans to stand up for the American people and call on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to draft health care legislation in a bipartisan and transparent manner.  Durbin noted that if just three out of the 52 Republican Senators refuse to vote for the secret health care repeal bill, it would force Leader McConnell to go back to the drawing board.

“Why are we in this position when ten days before changing the health care for 360 million Americans no one has seen, read, or analyzed [the bill]?  We are not deliberating on this life and death measure with the kind of respect that it deserves, with the kind of expertise that it deserves,” Durbin said.  “If three Republican Senators out of 52, if three of them will step up and say this is wrong, we need to do this in a transparent way, a bipartisan way – if three will step up and do that, then we can roll up our sleeves and do the right thing for America.”

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor are available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.