Tonight, the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), released the following statement in response to the announcement that a deal has been reached in the Senate concerning “cost-sharing reductions” (CSRs), which decrease out-of-pocket costs for lower-income people who buy their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges:
“The CBC appreciates the bipartisan efforts to repair the damage that President Trump has done to the nation’s health care system. However, we will not be able to make a decision about supporting this deal until we see all the details.
“A deal crafted by a handful of senators that lacks details on how the health care of working families, single parent families and older Americans will be impacted, must be met with tough questions – tough questions that the American people elected every member of Congress to ask.
We must also ask tough questions since the Trump Administration and both House and Senate Republicans do not have a clean record when it comes to making sure that all Americans – regardless of race, gender, age, income, pre-existing conditions etc. – can go to the doctor when they need to.
“The CBC will not support just any deal, absent assurances that health care protections provided by the Affordable Care Act are retained. CSRs are already required in statute, thus the White House’s recent action is likely illegal, and, possibly, unconstitutional.
“We must be careful so that we do not engage in bipartisanship for its own sake. We must only accept a good deal for the American people and it is not immediately clear right now that this is such a deal.”
