U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says he’s disappointed in the outcome of a vote overnight that was aimed at repealing Obamacare.
The U.S. Senate fell short early Friday morning on efforts to pass what’s been called the “skinny repeal,” which was a stripped down version of the legislation designed to repeal and replace Obamacare. Several Republicans, including Johnson, had voiced concerns that the measure did not go far enough, but pledged to support it if they had assurances from the House of Representatives that it would only be used as a vehicle to get the issue into a conference committee.
Three Republicans – Sens. John McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins – killed the effort by voting against it.
In a statement released early this morning, Johnson said he was “disappointed not only in the failure to pass legislation to begin to repair the damage done by Obamacare, but also in the dysfunctional process that directly led to this result.”
“Too many people have been harmed to allow tonight’s vote to be the end,” the Wisconsin Republican said “In the coming weeks my committee will hold hearings to lay out the realities of our health care system, and I am committed to working with anyone who is serious about addressing these issues. Americans deserve far better than their elected officials have delivered to this point.”
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who joined Democrats in voting against the bill, said in a statement that now is the time for both parties to work together to find a solution. “As I have said throughout this debate, now is the time to work together to make things better by stabilizing the health insurance market, making health care more affordable, and taking on rising prescription drug costs,” she said.