Republicans Refuse to Support Pre-Existing Condition Protections, Double Down on Tax Cuts for Corporations and Billionaires

Wyden Offers Amendments at Budget Markup to Protect Americans’ Health Care, Ensure Fairness in the Tax Code for Working Families - Republicans Block Both

Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on Senate Republicans to pass a budget that guarantees protections for pre-existing conditions and blocks additional tax cuts for corporations and billionaires. In a Senate Budget Committee markup, Wyden offered two amendments to adopt these commonsense policies, but Republicans voted them down on a party line.

“This is a budget that doubles down on a fundamentally unfair economic system – cementing it in place for generations to come. The tax handouts flow overwhelmingly to those at the top, but the budget cuts overwhelmingly hit middle-class Americans,” Wyden said. “This was a chance for Republicans to show that they support pre-existing condition protections and fairness in the tax code, but yet again they failed on both counts.” 

Wyden’s first amendment would prevent the Senate from repealing the Affordable Care Act, protections for pre-existing conditions, the requirement that health plans cover all essential health benefits, Medicaid expansion, and subsidies that help people afford coverage.

Wyden’s second amendment would provide a tax cut for working and middle-class families by rolling back tax cuts for wealthy individuals and multinational corporations.

Both were rejected by Senate Republicans.

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