GOP Rushes ACA Repeal Bill Without Hearings and Open Debate; By Contrast, ACA Was Enacted After An Open, Transparent Process

Tomorrow, Republicans are beginning the process of trying to rush an ACA Repeal bill to the President's desk as rapidly as possible – in an effort to get the bill enacted before the American people understand what the bill will mean for them.

There have been no legislative hearings on this bill.  No experts have come to provide public testimony about what the provisions of this bill will mean for the health care costs families will pay, for the coverage they currently have, and for the quality of their health plans.

Republicans are also beginning their mark-ups without any estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on health care costs and coverage.  By contrast, during the consideration of the ACA, before every committee vote and every Floor vote in the House and Senate, the CBO estimates on the legislation being considered were available.

It is clear that the Republicans are trying to rush this bill through before anyone fully  understands what it will mean for the American people and the American health care system.

By contrast, below is an overview of the open, transparent, lengthy process that Democrats used to write the Affordable Care Act in 2009 and 2010.   The process lasted almost a full year.

OVERVIEW OF THE OPEN, TRANSPARENT, LENGTHY PROCESS OF ENACTING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

"This is the most thoroughly debated piece of legislation in my memory in Washington." – Bill Kristol, Fox News Sunday, 3/7/10

"[T]his bill has received more careful consideration, more exposure, more transparency, more debate, more hearing time, more debate time, more amendments offered, than almost any bill that I can think of in my 30 years in the Congress of the United States." – Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, 3/16/10

BY THE NUMBERS: AN OPEN, TRANSPARENT PROCESS FOR THE ACA

HOUSE

• The House held 79 bipartisan hearings and markups on health insurance reform in 2009 and 2010.
• House Members spent nearly 100 hours in hearings, heard from 181 witnesses from both sides of the aisle, considered 239 amendments (both Democratic and Republican), and accepted121 amendments.
• In mark-up, Energy & Commerce Committee adopted 24 GOP amendments. In mark-up, Education & Workforce Committee adopted 6 GOP amendments.
• The original House bill was posted online for 30 days before the first Committee began their mark up and more than 100 days before the tri-committees formally introduced their merged bill in the House.
• House Democrats posted their first House bill online for the promised 72-hour review.
• The Senate bill voted on in the House was onlinefor three months, and the reconciliation bill was online for 72 hours of review before the final vote.

House Democrats heard and answered questions from constituents at more than 3,000 health care town halls and public events, and tens of thousands of e-mails, calls, and letters were logged in Congressional offices to register public comment.

SENATE

• The Senate Finance Committee held more than 53 hearings on health insurance reform. They spent 8 days marking up the legislation – the longest markup in 22 years – during which they considered 135 amendments.
• The Senate HELP Committee held more than 47 bipartisan hearings, roundtables, and walkthroughs on health insurance reform. They considered 300 amendments during a 13 day markup.
• The Senate Finance Committee posted their legislation online for 6 days before the markup.
• The Senate HELP Committee posted their legislation online for 6 days before the markup.
• The Senate spent 25 consecutive days in session on health reform, the second longest consecutive session in history.
• In total, the Senate spent more than 160 hours considering the health reform legislation.
• The final Senate bill included 147 Republican amendments.