McConnell Previews State of the Union Address: Obamacare and Kentucky
‘$253 million. That’s how much Washington has spent so far for these results in my state. A quarter of a billion dollars to essentially limit care, cancel plans, and increase costs.’
January 28, 2014
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the President’s State of the Union tonight. During his speech, Senator McConnell talked about Obamacare and the impact it’s having on Kentucky:
“Here’s something else: he could work with us to relieve the pain Obamacare is causing for so many Americans across the country. Across all income brackets.
“I asked him last year to prepare Americans for the consequences of this law. He didn’t do it.
“Today, those consequences are plain for anyone to see.
“Just last night, I hosted a tele-town hall where Kentuckians shared their stories about the stress that Obamacare is causing: restricted access to doctors and hospitals, lost jobs, lower wages, fewer choices, higher costs. I assure you, these folks won’t be applauding when the President tries to spin this law as a success tonight. More than a quarter million Kentuckians lost the plans they had and presumably wanted to keep – despite the President’s promises to the contrary.
“This is a law that caused premiums to increase an average of 47 percent in Kentucky, and in some cases more than 100 percent.
“This is a law that, in some parts of my state, is limiting choices for health care coverage to just two companies in the individual exchange market.
“And at what cost to the taxpayer?
“$253 million. That’s how much Washington has spent so far for these results in my state. A quarter of a billion dollars to essentially limit care, cancel plans, and increase costs.
“Kentucky has gotten more money to set up its exchange than every state except California, New York, Oregon, and Washington. That’s a lot of money. And they’ve still only enrolled 30 percent of the people they were supposed to at this point. How is that a success?
“So President Obama and Governor Beshear can keep telling Americans to ‘get over it’ if they don’t like this law, but sooner or later they’re going to have to come to terms with reality. They’re going to have to accept that Obamacare just hasn’t worked like the Administration promised – in Kentucky, and across America – and that it’s time to start over with real reform.
“That’s why, tonight, I hope the President will make a change. I hope he’ll announce his willingness to work with members of both parties to start over with real, bipartisan reform that can actually lower costs and improve quality of care.
“That’s the kind of reform Kentuckians and Americans really want.
“And that’s the way President Obama can show that he’s serious about a Year of Action.
“At this time next year, we’ll be able to judge if he was.”