Rhode Island’s U.S. Senators are weighing in on the Republican health care proposal, unveiled publicly for the first time Thursday. The legislation is the culmination of a years-long attempt by Republican lawmakers to repeal with Obamacare, which they say has driven up health care costs for Americans.
Rhode Island’s junior senator, Sheldon Whitehouse, said the bill’s proposed cuts to Medicaid, the federal program which provides health care to poor Americans, would seriously hurt the Ocean State.
“We know that Medicaid cuts are really bad, and would be devastating for Rhode Island budgets,” Whitehouse said. “Good luck phasing out the car tax when you have to phase in the revenues to offset what Republicans want the government to walk away from for Medicaid.”
Senate Democrats were not included in discussions of the healthcare proposal. Sen. Jack Reed called the bill “fatally flawed.”
Reed and Whitehouse are expected to speak with reporters about the health care bill on Friday afternoon in Cranston.