WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding the three-pronged approach to Obamacare repeal and replacement:

“In election after election, the American people have made their voices clear. They want an end to Obamacare. In my home state of Kentucky, Obamacare premiums are up by as much as 47% and almost half of the counties only have one option for an insurer on the exchange.

“The pain that individuals and families are feeling across the country is palpable. They’ve watched their bills skyrocket and their options disappear. Obamacare has made a mess across the country. Again and again, Kentuckians have called for relief from this partisan law. Republicans have heard their call and we’ve developed a three-pronged approach to stabilize the healthcare market and help it grow into the future.

“The first prong is the legislation currently being considered by committees in the House. Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office underlined some important things we've been saying about the House bill. It will ultimately drive down premiums — by 10% in their estimation. It will provide further relief to the middle class by cutting taxes — a cut of $883 billion, they said. It will also reduce the deficit — by $337 billion, according to them.

“And that's only considering one part of our three-prong approach. It doesn’t take into account the other actions Congress, the governors, or the executive branch can take to further provide relief, lower costs, and improve access. Obviously that means the CBO statistics on coverage are premature and may not represent the final number of Americans covered under the plan.

“Last night, we confirmed Seema Verma to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as CMS. In that role, Administrator Verma has broad authority to regulate how Obamacare interacts with the Medicaid program. Obamacare spent years raiding Medicare funds and putting Medicaid on an unsustainable path, and now she has the ability to work with states on much-needed reforms.

“The Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Tom Price just met with Senate Republicans to discuss what he’s doing to lessen the burdens of Obamacare on the American people. Obamacare gave significant regulatory flexibility to the Health Secretary and CMS Administrator. Secretary Price and Administrator Verma now have the ability to make serious policy shifts to benefit the American people.

“With the three-pronged strategy, we can begin to put the troubles of Obamacare behind us. We can work together to make the health care marketplace more accessible and affordable.”