WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins today issued this statement following a vote to end debate on a House-passed government funding bill that also defunds Obamacare.
"I voted against Obamacare and have repeatedly voted to repeal, reform, and replace it. From the beginning, I have been very clear that Obamacare is a harmful law that fails to rein in the cost of health care and to provide consumers with more affordable options. Recent analysis indicates that, under Obamacare, Mainers will actually pay more for insurance than residents in most other states. The law will impose billions of dollars in new taxes, fees, and penalties, and it contains perverse incentives that would cause small businesses to drop health care insurance for their employees and discourage businesses from hiring new employees.
"The Administration’s own decision to delay implementation of parts of the law shows how unworkable this law actually is. I hope that Congress will work together to change the law substantially to address the very real health care concerns of the American people and the budget realities we face.
"Today, I voted to end debate on a bill passed by the House of Representatives last week that would fund the government while also defunding Obamacare. To claim that voting to end debate on this bill is a vote for Obamacare is just plain wrong. Republicans stand united against Obamacare – and agree that it should be repealed. But I also agree with my constituents who say that linking essential government programs, such as Medicare for our seniors or paychecks for our troops who are serving in harm’s way, to defunding Obamacare is not a realistic policy. A government shutdown will not stop Obamacare – instead it would only hurt more Americans than this health care law already is.”
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