Pelosi Letter to Speaker Ryan: No House Vote Without Updated CBO Report Following Rules Committee Amendments
Washington, D.C. – Today, following reports Republicans are planning major amendments to their Pay More For Less bill at the Rules Committee, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Ryan on insisting that Republicans not force the House to vote without an updated Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score on the final legislation. Just as Democrats waited for updated CBO reports through each stage of the Affordable Care Act's mark-up process, Republicans should do the same so Americans are aware of the impacts it will have on their families and the budget.
As Leader Pelosi writes, "After Republicans forced the Ways & Means Committee and the Energy & Commerce Committee to vote blind on a bill with devastating consequences for Americans, I must reiterate my previous insistence that Republicans not force the House to vote before the CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation have revealed the final bill's impacts on the coverage, quality and cost of Americans' health care."
Full text of the letter can be found below:
March 15, 2017
The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker of the House
H-232, United States Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Speaker Ryan,
The CBO's report has exposed the Republican Pay More For Less bill as an assault on working families. This bill is not an "act of mercy," it is a cruel plan to push 24 million Americans off their health coverage so that Republicans can hand a $600 billion tax giveaway to the rich and big corporations.
Now, according to recent reports, Republicans are planning to make a Manager's amendment and other changes in the Rules Committee which could significantly worsen the already disastrous impact of their bill on working families – including a proposal to destroy millions of Americans' Medicaid coverage as soon as the end of this year.
If any changes are made at Rules, the American people and Members have a right to see an updated CBO score on the consequences of the final legislation before any vote by the House. You will remember that when Democrats amended the Senate-passed Affordable Care Act at Rules, we ensured that the American people had an updated CBO score for the final legislation before the House voted.
After Republicans forced the Ways & Means Committee and the Energy & Commerce Committee to vote blind on a bill with devastating consequences for Americans, I must reiterate my previous insistence that Republicans not force the House to vote before the CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation have revealed the final bill's impacts on the coverage, quality and cost of Americans' health care.
Mr. Speaker, as a former Chair of both the Committee on Ways and Means and the Budget, you understand the importance of having the numbers as well as anyone. These are critical questions and I hope that Republicans will honor their responsibility to the American people before the final bill goes to the House floor.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
best regards,
NANCY PELOSI
Democratic Leader