WASHINGTON, DC— Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) released the following statement after the “skinny repeal” plan failed in the Senate early this morning 49-51:
“This morning, we saw three Republican Senators put country above party. For many Americans, including me, the sense of relief was palpable. For a moment at least, a glimmer of hope has reemerged that we may actually be able to fix the problems with our existing healthcare system and reduce costs for hard-working families across the country without harming millions of Americans.
“I have been working with a group of Democrats, led by members of the New Democrat Coalition, to craft a plan to stabilize the healthcare marketplace, the most necessary first step to controlling costs and premium increases. The ideas we are putting forward, and which we have presented to moderate Republican lawmakers for their consideration, are designed to be pragmatic, consensus solutions that actually have a chance of moving forward.
“At this point, the future is unclear. But that’s a good thing. It means there are still options and opportunities for Congress to build on last night’s momentum in the coming months and take action that will benefit everyone. It’s time for real cooperation.”