{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.thune.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DB2B9B7C-79C5-47B3-9F39-5B2EFC3F38C0", "Thune: Democrats Want to Maximize Washington Control of Americans Health Care", "2019-10-29", "2019", "2019-10", "Republican", "House", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Clickhereor on the picture above to watch Thune's speech.\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the Democrats' latest political messaging bill, which would repeal guidance that the administration issued to give states more flexibility to design health insurance plans that meet the needs of their residents.\r\n\r\nThune's remarks below (as prepared for delivery):\r\n\r\nMr. President, before I begin, I want to say that I was saddened to hear of the death of former Senator Kay Hagan yesterday.\r\n\r\nShe was a dedicated public servant.\r\n\r\nMy thoughts and prayers are with her family.\r\n\r\nMr. President, later this week we will vote on a Democrat resolution to repeal guidance the president issued to give states more flexibility to design insurance plans that meet the needs of their residents.\r\n\r\nDemocrats have tried to portray this resolution as a move to protect people with preexisting conditions.\r\n\r\nThat is just a smokescreen.\r\n\r\nDemocrats know very well that Republicans are committed to protecting those with preexisting conditions.\r\n\r\nIn reality this is just another political messaging bill.\r\n\r\nIt's also another attempt by Democrats to maximize Washington control of Americans' health care.\r\n\r\nIn keeping with their push toward socialism, Democrats want to make very sure that states don't have the chance to escape from any of Obamacare's bureaucracy.\r\n\r\nBut let me back up for a minute and talk about the waivers and the guidance from the president that Democrats are attacking.\r\n\r\nSection 1332 of the Affordable Care Act  the law that Democrats enacted on a completely partisan basis  allows states to apply for waivers from certain Obamacare requirements.\r\n\r\nThe requirements that can and cannot be waived are the same today as they were the day Obamacare passed.\r\n\r\nLet me repeat that.\r\n\r\nThe Obamacare requirements that can or cannot be waived are the same today as they were the day Obamacare passed.\r\n\r\nThe 2018 guidance from the White House did not changeanythingabout what requirements can and cannot be waived under Section 1332.\r\n\r\nLet me be very clear:\r\n\r\n1332 waivers DO NOT allow states to waive Obamacare's preexisting condition protections.\r\n\r\nThey do not allow health plans to utilize preexisting condition coverage exclusions.\r\n\r\nThey do not allow health plans to refuse coverage for people with preexisting conditions.\r\n\r\nAnd they do not allow plans to charge individuals more based on a preexisting health condition.\r\n\r\nSo what do the 1332 waivers do?\r\n\r\nThe waivers give states the opportunity to take action to stabilize insurance markets and try out new ways of providing coverage to individuals who might not otherwise be able to afford insurance.\r\n\r\nMy colleagues across the aisle would have the American public believe that these waivers will, quote, allow states to greenlight substandard, junk insurance plans.\r\n\r\nLet me remind my colleagues that these plans they deride as junk plans are the very same short-term limited duration plans that were permitted in seven out of the eight years of the Obama administration.\r\n\r\nAnother refrain we will hear from my Democrat colleagues is that the administration's guidance will permit states to waive essential health benefits, or EHBs.\r\n\r\nI want to remind them that the Affordable Care Act itself permits the waiving of EHBs by states.\r\n\r\nThe Trump administration guidance does not change this.\r\n\r\nSo again, while Democrats would have people believe that Republicans are destroying EHBs, states can already choose to waive them, and have not to date.\r\n\r\nMost of the states who have applied for waivers have wanted to use them for reinsurance programs to drive down premiums.\r\n\r\nAgain, waivers give states some relief from Obamacare's one-size-fits-all requirements, allowing them to try out new ways to drive down prices and help individuals afford care.\r\n\r\nIt's about choice, and empowering Americans to decide what type of coverage meets their needs.\r\n\r\nMr. President, we might not be having this conversation today if Obamacare had lived up to the rosy promises that were made when it was passed.\r\n\r\nBut I don't have to tell anyone that it didn't come anywhere close to living up to those promises.\r\n\r\nObamacare was supposed to give Americans without health insurance access to affordable care, while preserving the health insurance of the millions of Americans who were satisfied with their plans.\r\n\r\nAs everyone knows, what actually happened was quite different.\r\n\r\nMillions of Americans lost their plans; health insurance premiums went up, not down; and premiums and out-of-pocket costs on the exchanges were unaffordable for many from day one.\r\n\r\nThe average monthly premium for a family plan on the exchanges has increased by $742 over the past four years.\r\n\r\n$742.\r\n\r\nThat's close to the average mortgage payment in my home state of South Dakota.\r\n\r\nSo it's not surprising that states would be looking for ways to help families afford care through 1332 waivers.\r\n\r\nAnd waivers are in fact helping to lower premiums.\r\n\r\nSeven states that received waivers saw average premiums for a benchmark silver plan drop by 7.5 percent from 2018 to 2019.\r\n\r\nStates are using 1332 waivers to make health care more affordable and Obamacare premiums less burdensome.\r\n\r\nThey are NOT using the waivers to do anything to undermine protections for people with preexisting conditions  something they couldn't legally do anyway.\r\n\r\nIt's worth noting that more than one state with a Democrat governor has applied for a 1332 waiver this year.\r\n\r\nAre Democrat senators suggesting that these governors want to undermine protections for people with preexisting conditions?\r\n\r\nMr. President, numerous Americans are struggling to afford their Obamacare premiums, and many others have been priced out of the Obamacare market altogether.\r\n\r\nIt only makes sense to give states as much flexibility as possible to address Obamacare's problems and expand insurance access for their residents.\r\n\r\nBut Democrats are so set on maximizing Washington control of Americans' health care that they're determined to oppose any Obamacare flexibility  even if that flexibility is resulting in lower premiums for Americans.\r\n\r\nToday's resolution is just another example of Democrats' prioritizing their political ideology over the welfare of the American people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.thune.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DB2B9B7C-79C5-47B3-9F39-5B2EFC3F38C0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8001448586583138, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}