Hoyer Discusses the Defeat of Senate "Skinny Repeal" Bill and Passage of Russia Sanctions on CNBC's Squawk Box

Press Release

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined CNBC's Squawk Box to discuss the defeat of the Senate's TrumpCare bill early this morning and the passage of bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation. Below is a video and a transcript of his remarks:

On the Defeat of Senate "Skinny Repeal"

"…I'm not happy at the dysfunction in Washington, DC, and I don't think the American people are, either. I'm happy that a terrible health care bill was defeated last night on the Floor of the Senate. That was the right thing to do. Senator Graham from South Carolina, Republican, called it a "disaster' and a "fraud.' The head of the conservative Republican Study Committee in the House said it was rotten "to the bone,' and that's all accurate. And Paul Ryan, frankly, would not say that that bill was not going to go to the President. I warned Members on the Floor of the House last night, and the United States Senate, that we thought there was a plan afoot to have that bill [be voted on in the House and go to the President], which I don't think a single United States Senator, whether they voted for it or against it, thought it was a good bill for the country. Fifteen million people would have lost their insurance and 6 million of those would have been employer-based people. They have their insurance through employers. So it was a terrible bill."

On Russia, Iran, and North Korea Sanctions Legislation

"[We] overwhelmingly passed a [bill] that said no, Mr. President, you can't [lift sanctions] without our participation. The Administration was opposed to that.… Mr. McCarthy and I worked on that for about a month to get it to a place where it could be passed in the form and with the support that it had."

On Working Together To Improve The ACA

"… I think the committees will work hopefully in a bipartisan fashion, have hearings, have citizens come forward, understand the ramifications of the legislation, and Democrats and Republicans work together to make the ACA work, and yes there will be compromises. But the President's threat, you talk about threats, that he's going to allow the Affordable Care Act to implode, it's not against Democrats, it's against the millions and millions and millions of people and families and children that will be badly hurt if he does that. Hopefully he will not follow through on that threat."

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