Local Senators React To Senate GOP Health Care Bill
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey appeared on Sunday's Face the Nation backing up the Senate Republican health care bill.
"This bill provides very generous tax credits. Considerably more generous than the house. They are more oriented towards lower income people," PA Senator Pat Toomey said.
Toomey said there are a lot of misconceptions with the bill that he wants to clear up. He said Medicaid will not be cut.
"The senate bill will codify and make permanent the Medicaid expansion and in fact will have the federal government pay the lion share of the cost," Toomey said.
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin strongly believes the Affordable Care Act needs to be improved but not replaced.
"This is about our country. You have to have a policy to get your people healthier, gets them in a productive work force if you will and we're going to do that by intervening," West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said.
"We've got a health care system that's working for government right now but it's not working for patients," U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price said.
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price defended the GOP health care plan Sunday.
"Our goal is to decrease premiums and to make it so health coverage is actually affordable again. Right now we've got premiums that are going through the roof. We have deductibles that are sky rocketing. You got folks with a health coverage card but no care because you can't afford deductibles," Price said.
Manchin said the current bill is mean spirited.
"Why can't there be some compassion? Saying listen here's how you can keep it. Here's how you're going to use your health care. It's going to make you a better person. It's going to give you opportunities," Manchin said.
Senator Manchin also said the Republicans do not have the votes to get the bill passed this week.
We could see a vote sometime this week.
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