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Chellie Pingree Blasts New GOP Health Plan

Ed Morin
/
Maine Public/file
Rep. Chellie Pingree speaks at a rally in Portland in January against repealing the Affordable Care Act.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine’s 1st District is sharply critical of the Republicans’ new health care proposal, which she says is worse than the one they abandoned a few weeks ago.

“I believe all Americans deserve protections for the coverage of essential health services and preexisting conditions, not just members of Congress,” she says.

Pingree says the bill would allow members of Congress to get a plan that has better coverage than what would be offered to most Americans. She says under the proposal, consumers will pay more for less coverage, if they can get coverage at all.

“This bill undermines our health care system in so many damaging ways. For what? Let’s not forget that the bill includes nearly $600 billion in tax breaks for drug companies, insurers and the wealthy,” she says.

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.