Congressman Brian Higgins says the failure of a Republican-sponsored bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act is a victory for the American people. The Buffalo Democrat says the GOP legislation would have benefited insurance companies rather than the people it was supposed to help.
"It was a massive payoff to insurance executives," Higgins said. "It gave them a massive tax cut. It was a major takeaway of money, coverage and dignity from hardworking Americans."
Clarence Republican Chris Collins responded in a written statement that he is "extremely disappointed" that his party's bill is not moving forward. He said there would have been a "drastic improvement" in healthcare.
Republican Tom Reed of the Southern Tier said on Weekend Edition Saturday that representatives of both parties need to work together to make changes.
"When you see what's happening with premiums and when you see the lack of choice, it's a real a problem that's not going away," Reed said.
Governor Andrew Cuomo says the handling of the health care overhaul by Republicans was "a disgusting display of government at its worst."
