Politics & Government
Murray Reaches Deal With Republicans On Health Care
U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Lamar Alexander reached a bipartisan deal restoring key elements of the Affordable Care Act.
SEATTLE, WA - U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, top-ranking Democrat on the Senate's health committee, announced a deal had been struck with Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., that restores payments to insurers that the Trump administration had blocked. The deal effectively allows the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to continue functioning, as blocking the cost-sharing reduction payments was likely to cause spikes in health care premiums. In her remarks to Congress, Murray said it was critical for the two parties to reach a long-term agreement on health care.
“I hope [this] will set the health care discussion in Congress on a very different path than the one we’ve seen for the last seven years,” she said.
The bipartisan bill extends cost-sharing payments for two years. Murray said the agreement prevents the Trump administration from "blowing up" the ACA while also providing states with greater flexibility in how they meet ACA requirements. President Trump has said it would be best to let the ACA "implode."
Find out what's happening in Seattlefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"[The deal] will address attempts by this administration to keep people from getting enrolled in care they need," Murray said.
The bipartisan deal has been endorsed by Senate leaders such as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY,and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. President Trump expressed his support for the deal as a stop-gap measure.
Find out what's happening in Seattlefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
However, Republican leaders such as House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., have shown little enthusiasm for the deal. Republicans have attempted numerous times to "repeal and replace" the ACA, but have yet to pass a bill.
Read more on the bipartisan health care deal at White House Patch. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Seattle Patch, click here to find your local Washington Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)
Patch National Staff writer Cody Fenwick contributed to this story.
Image via Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
