Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) issued the following statement regarding a procedural vote today that will allow the debt ceiling increase to be attached to otherwise non-controversial Medicare extenders.
“I have fought to protect Medicare provider reimbursement and led prior rounds of Medicare extenders in a bipartisan manner. These are important programs that I’ve helped improve over the last two decades, including twice as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve supported bipartisan relief to health care providers including $178 billion in direct relief, a moratorium on Medicare cuts on three separate occasions, financial boost to Medicare providers facing reimbursement changes, and regulatory relief. I support the health care-specific provisions reflected in the Medicare extenders package, which the Senate will soon take up, that would prevent cuts and changes to Medicare providers. In fact, I supported an amendment that would have provided for a clean Medicare extender package. I will continue to fight to expand access to care, lower prescription drug costs and protect vulnerable health care providers, especially in rural Iowa.
“The last minute attachment of a debt ceiling increase exemplifies the reckless, irresponsible approach to governing of this Democratic Majority. I can’t support such a move on procedural grounds. If the majority wants spend trillions of dollars without Republican input, then they ought to raise the debt ceiling without Republican help.”
Original source can be found here.
