Schatz: People’s Health Care Premiums Are Going Up Now, It’s Time To Act

WASHINGTON - Speaking at this afternoon's Senate Democratic leadership press conference, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) called on Republicans to work with Democrats to stop health care costs from rising and keep the government open.

"The reason that we are trying to take action now on health care is because people's premiums are going up. People are going to lose their health care," said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "This is not a joke. The idea that this is some Democratic priority or independent priority or Republican priority is nonsense. This is a very damaging issue for Republicans, and if we were terribly cynical, we would just let them stew in it. But we want to solve it because we care in our bones about the people we represent."

A transcript of Senator Schatz's remarks is below. Video is available here.

I'm struck by the extent to which sort of DC brain has infected us all, where we think that this is some sort of cooked up demand. The reason that we are trying to take action now on health care is because people's premiums are going up this coming week by letter. I got a text from a buddy of mine. He got a letter - 40 percent increase for his father's premiums. This is not a talking point. This is not an allegation. This is literally what's happening. And 40 percent, you should be to be lucky if it's a 40 percent increase - the average increase is going to be 114 percent.

And so the time to solve this problem is now. Open enrollment is now. Letters are going out now. Now some insurance companies are sending out letters saying, 'Your rates are increasing, but we're not sure by how much.' And some insurance companies are being jawboned into not even sending letters at all. Now there is only one thing worse than your rates going up on January 1 - it is not being told until December that your rates are going up on January 1.

People are going to lose their health care. This is not a joke. This is not a political talking point. This is what's going to happen across the country. The idea that this is some Democratic priority or independent priority or Republican priority is nonsense. Tens of millions of people are specifically going to see a 114 percent increase and everybody else is in the same risk pool. This is a very damaging issue for Republicans, and if we were terribly cynical, we would just let them stew in it. But we want to solve it because we care in our bones about the people we represent.

And so there is still an opportunity to do something about this. There is still an opportunity to do something about this. None of us like shutdowns. But the only way to avoid a shutdown is to sit down between the political parties - and that includes the party out of power - and to make a deal. There's still time.

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