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Sen. Stabenow says people deserve to know what’s in the secret Senate bill to replace ACA

Michigan Public | By Stateside Staff

Published June 21, 2017 at 5:10 PM EDT

"Stop what is a political exercise and instead reach out and work with us on the real issues of healthcare," Sen. Stabenow said.

Stateside's conversation with U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.

A group of 13 Republican Senators continues to work in secrecy, writing a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Republicans will see a "discussion draft" of the bill tomorrow.

Their goal? A vote a week from tomorrow, on June 29.

With that in mind, consider this:

“This massive piece of legislation that seeks to restructure one sixth of our economy is being written behind closed doors without input from anyone in an effort to jam it past not only the Senate, but the American people. An artificial deadline. Every American will be affected by this missing bill. Every single American will be affected by this and no one will have had an opportunity to read it and to understand it.” – Senator Mitch McConnell in 2009 as the Affordable Care Act was being drawn up

Today, many, including other GOP senators, are complaining about the secrecy McConnell is imposing on the Senate’s current process to write a bill to replace the ACA.

Michigan’s Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow joined Stateside today to weigh in.

She first pointed out that what Sen. McConnell said in 2009 was inaccurate. She said over 100 hearings and committee meetings were held at the time.

“Today, though, his words would be very true,” she said. “I sit on the Finance Committee. We’re not holding any hearings. I head the Health Subcommittee of Finance as the Lead Democrat. I’ve not seen the bill. No one’s talked to me about it. We have no information other than what we’re getting in bits and pieces from other people. Ironically, I get the information from lobbyists. That’s who knows more about it than we do.”

The important point here, she said, is not that she doesn’t know what’s in the bill.

“It’s about the people of Michigan not knowing,” she said. “If somebody has cancer and they’re going to lose their treatments, they have a right to know what’s in this bill and give their views.”(Subscribe to the Stateside podcast oniTunes,Google Play, or with thisRSS link)