Unidentified speaker says GOP plan would cut premiums, calls Democratic subsidy 'fraud-ridden'
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Summary
An unidentified speaker argued that Republican health-care reforms would reduce premiums, citing the CBO's projected 11% drop, and accused Democrats of extending a COVID-era subsidy he described as "fraud-ridden," citing alleged GAO and CBO findings of fraud and ineligible enrollees. The transcript records no response or formal vote.
An unidentified speaker told the chamber that Republican health-care reforms would lower costs and cited the Congressional Budget Office as projecting an 11% reduction in premiums. "According to CBO... it will reduce premiums by 11%," the speaker said.
The speaker framed the debate as a choice for the American people and described the GOP approach as targeting "waste, fraud, and abuse," increasing competition and transparency to expand choice. "That's our plan. And it lowers cost for everybody," the speaker said.
Turning to the policy Democrats support, the speaker accused them of proposing "an extension of a COVID-era fraud-ridden subsidy," saying watchdogs "GAO, CBO, all the watchdogs say it is fraught with tens of billions of fraud." The speaker added that "tens of thousands of social security numbers from dead people have been used to siphon money away from this program" and that "millions of people, according to CBO, are ineligibly on the program." These assertions are presented as the speaker's account of watchdog reports; the transcript records no corroborating testimony or reply.
The speaker also asserted that the Democrats' approach has "propped up the underlying program that year after year has raised premiums and deductibles," adding that costs "have doubled" since the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare) was enacted and that market choices have declined.
Quoting former President Ronald Reagan, the speaker said, "Government is not the solution here... Government is the problem," and closed by urging colleagues to support the Republican proposal. The transcript contains no record of a motion, amendment, or vote related to the remarks.
The speaker's statements attribute specific findings to the Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office; the transcript does not include those agencies speaking or presenting in this segment, and no independent evidence beyond the speaker's claims appears in the provided text.