WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) last night took to the Senate floor to slam Republicans’ tax bill, which will rip away health care coverage for more than 16 million Americans, including 29,000 Vermonters. The Republican bill will hike health care costs, close rural hospitals, and force millions of middle-class families to lose their coverage altogether, all to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. In addition to draconian Medicaid cuts, Republicans are raising premiums and out-of-pocket costs for tens of millions of people who buy coverage on their own. 

“We should kill this bill. And I would urge all of my colleagues to take into consideration how this is going to affect the people who each of us represents. You know, there’s a bipartisan element to this bill…everybody is going to share the pain of what this bill does. It’s folks in a red state, it’s folks in a blue state—whether they voted for Harris or they voted for Trump—they lose their Medicaid, that hurts. They lose their community hospital, that hurts. They pay higher interest rates, that hurts,” said Senator Welch. “Let’s come to our senses and vote against this bill.” 

Watch Senator Welch’s speech below: 

Earlier this week, Senator Welch joined Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) for a virtual roundtable highlighting the harmful consequences of Republicans’ reconciliation bill for patients in Vermont. In May, Senator Welch denounced Republicans disastrous proposed budget plan that would limit Affordable Care Act (ACA) Premium Tax Credits which help low- and moderate-income Vermonters access health coverage.   

Last month, Senator Welch joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Protect Our Care for a press conference condemning the Republican budget. Senator Welch also recently spoke on the Senate floor about how health care is at risk for millions, and challenged President Trump to join him and Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in working to lower prescription drug prices through his recently introduced Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act. 

Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media. 

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