Washington—This morning, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced the Help, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that he chairs would hold a hearing in early September "on the actions Congress should take to stabilize and strengthen [Obamacare's] individual health insurance market, so that Americans will be able to buy insurance at affordable prices in the year 2018." Heritage Action released the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Needham:
"The Senate's inability to produce 51 votes for a piece of legislation that delivers on a seven-year campaign promise to repeal and replace Obamacare is not license for a bipartisan bailout of a failing law. Networks continue to narrow. Premiums continue to rise. And choice continues to decline. Obamacare is becoming a zombie law, and throwing more taxpayer money at Zombiecare is unacceptable.
Last week, Needham warned that Alexander's calls for bipartisan action would embolden Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and congressional liberals looking to advance their big-government health care agenda:
"Make no mistake, when lawmakers call for 'bipartisan market stabilization,' they mean more taxpayer money and more regulations. ... Regardless of what happens later today, we know that Democrats will not stop in their quest for a nationalized, single-payer scheme. And despite justified disappointment with the current process, conservatives cannot cede the playing field."