Washington Senate Debate: on Health Care

Bruce Braley: Repealing ObamaCare would deprive millions of insurance

Braley shot back: "The reality is that when you pass a huge change in how health is delivered to millions of Americans, there are bound to be some things you have to deal with along the way. That's what we've done. Repealing the entire bill, and taking health care away from millions of Americans, and adding costs--premiums will go up 225 percent in Iowa if you eliminate what's in place right now."

Joni Ernst: FactCheck: False claim that ObamaCare cut Medicare benefits

Ernst's low point was "stubbornly pushing the claim that ObamaCare cut Medicare benefits, an argument repeatedly debunked by nonpartisan fact checkers, and her confusion on a question about current 'job-killing' regulations, where she cited cap-and-trade, which is not law," a pundit said.

Bruce Braley: Vehemently opposes tort reform: don't take away right to sue

Bruce Braley: ObamaCare should be fixed and improved, not repealed

Braley admitted that ObamaCare, formally the Affordable Care Act, was not perfect as passed. But he used the topic as an opportunity to show that he can work on solutions in a bipartisan way. "I think that the Affordable Care Act needs to be fixed and improved," he said. "Sen. Ernst would repeal it and continue to obstruct efforts to try to improve it."

Bruce Braley: AdWatch: Targeted by RNC robocalls for support of ObamaCare

The targets besides Braley are Rep. Gary Peters (MI), Sens. Mark Warner (VA), Mark Begich (AK), Dick Durbin (IL), Kay Hagan (NC), Mary Landrieu (LA), Jeff Merkley (OR), Mark Pryor (AR), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), and Mark Udall (CO). The robocall script reads:

"President Obama and the Democrats said you could keep your healthcare plan under ObamaCare. Now we know [SENATOR] actually VOTED to make it more difficult. Call [SENATOR] at (XXX)-XXX-XXX & ask why [he/she] lied."

The robocalls are a response to Democrats launching the "GOP Shutdown Watch" campaign, highlighting Republican senate candidates who supported the partial federal government shutdown.

Joni Ernst: Voted against Medicaid expansion in Iowa

Dino Rossi: ObamaCare will require hordes of IRS agents to administer

Once again, the health-care overhaul was a point of controversy. Rossi noted that Murray said during the Spokane debate she'd read all 2,600 pages of the bill, and helped write it. He asked whether she was responsible for controversial parts of the law that raised taxes or hired "hordes and hordes of IRS agents" to administer it.

Murray fired back that she'd personally written a section of the law that provided money to train future family physicians. "Mr. Rossi is going to repeal that program and take that away," she said.

Patty Murray: ObamaCare provides money to train future family physicians

Once again, the health-care overhaul was a point of controversy. Rossi noted that Murray said during the Spokane debate she'd read all 2,600 pages of the bill, and helped write it. He asked whether she was responsible for controversial parts of the law that raised taxes or hired "hordes and hordes of IRS agents" to administer it.

Murray fired back that she'd personally written a section of the law that provided money to train future family physicians. "Mr. Rossi is going to repeal that program and take that away," she said.

Dino Rossi: Healthcare overhaul moves down a path that is very dangerous

Rossi pointed to the health care overhaul and stimulus spending and said leaders are "moving down a path that is very dangerous."

"If we don't have a course correction in this election, I think we're going to wake up 24 months from now in a country that we don't even recognize," Rossi said.

Rossi said other concepts, like laws to limit lawsuits against doctors and allow people to purchase insurance across state lines, would have been better approaches. "You're losing your freedoms; you're losing your choices," Rossi said. "This potentially could bankrupt America and also impact Medicare, as well."

Patty Murray: Pre-ObamaCare worked for insurance companies but no one else

Murray said the new health law will make a difference by stopping insurance companies from denying coverage for needed care. "The only group of people that health care in this county was working for was our health insurance companies," Murray said. "Every family, every business, every community was struggling with double-digit increases."

Dino Rossi: ObamaCare will siphon money & could bankrupt America

Murray was asked if she read the bill before voting on it. "Not only did I read it, I helped to write it," she said proudly. She said it is "not perfect" but is a step in the right direction to give individuals greater control of their health care.

Patty Murray: Yes, I read ObamaCare; I helped write it!

Murray was asked if she read the bill before voting on it. "Not only did I read it, I helped to write it," she said proudly. She said it is "not perfect" but is a step in the right direction to give individuals greater control of their health care.

Chuck Grassley: Medicare has more drugs by not negotiating prices like VA

Grassley said there was a tradeoff. Medicare has access to a greater variety of drugs because it doesn't negotiate. "The CBO [Congressional Budget Office] says it won't save any money if you have the negotiations," he said.

Roxanne Conlin: Negotiate prescription drugs for Medicare like we do for VA

Grassley said there was a tradeoff. Medicare has access to a greater variety of drugs because it doesn't negotiate. "The CBO [Congressional Budget Office] says it won't save any money if you have the negotiations," he said.

Christopher Reed: First cut waste, fraud, & abuse in Medicare/Medicaid

A: No. But I would make sure that there is the waste and the fraud and abuse of that is taken care of.

Q: The waste, fraud and abuse is an easy phrase. But how do you actually cut spending?

A: Well, I guess I would have to go there and I would have to look at what is in there and what isn’t and write bills appropriately that take care of those measures.