WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on Friday after Speaker Ryan canceled the scheduled vote on Trumpcare, the short-sighted, “mean” and “cruel” plan to raise costs and reduce care to fund a big tax cut for drug and insurance companies and the rich.

“The American people rose up and demanded Washington stop this cruel and inhumane bill. That’s a good thing for the country. But it might not be dead for long. President Trump and Republicans in Congress will no doubt try to revive this disaster or continue their efforts to undermine Obamacare,” said Murphy. “People rose up against this bill because they figured out pretty quickly that Donald Trump didn’t keep his promises. Donald Trump said his health care plan would cover everyone and lower costs. The bill did exactly the opposite, and that why it failed.”

Murphy has repeatedly called on Congressional Republicans to stop their dangerous crusade to repeal the ACA and to work in a bipartisan way to improve the law. Murphy lambasted Senate HELP Committee Republicans for refusing to schedule hearings on Trumpcare, and how it would affect patients and families across the country. Murphy also led 17 senators in demanding Senate Republican leadership conduct an equally transparent and thorough deliberative process on Trumpcare as was conducted in drafting and passing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2009. He also laid out the facts of Trumpcare with a PowerPoint presentation.