Alexander-Murray Health Savings Bill Deserves Praise

Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), the respective chair and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), introduced bipartisan legislation Thursday aimed at reducing health care costs. The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:

At a time when many in Washington are trying to buck hard choices, Senators Alexander and Murray deserve praise for taking seriously the need to control rapidly rising health care costs and putting forth sensible policies to begin this process.

The proposals they put forward would reduce health care costs for families, businesses, and the federal government.

It is especially encouraging that these proposals have bipartisan support – a necessary ingredient for enacting policy improvements in the current political environment.

While today’s proposal is only a starting point for discussion, a bipartisan draft is a hugely important step. Members of the Committee should take the proposal seriously and build on it rather than taking it apart.

###

For more information contact Patrick Newton, press secretary, at newton@crfb.org.