Despite Promises of an Open Process, Draft of Republican Plan to Replace ACA is Secreted Away in Basement

 Washington, D.C. – A draft of the House plan to repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act is now available for some Republican members in a basement reading room off the Capitol, according to news reports. This contradicts House Speaker Paul Ryan’s promise that “We’re not hatching some bill in a backroom and plopping it on the American people’s front door.” A markup is scheduled for next Wednesday, despite the fact that the Congressional Budget Office will not have completed its review, which could detail how much the legislation would cost and how many it would insure. Following is the statement of Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, on this development:

“Republicans are afraid of the reaction they will get from their constituents if they make their plans open to the public for repealing the Affordable Care Act. They apparently are also concerned about subjecting their plans to objective, non-partisan analyses.

“It is clear why they have these fears:  The proposals they have floated to date would strip millions of their existing health coverage and lead to skyrocketing costs for consumers,

“In town halls across America, consumers have been demanding to see the Republican plan. Their secrecy will only fuel the resistance as the public realizes Republicans are trying to ram through a plan that will shred key parts of our nation’s health care system. People in this country deserve better.”