WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) issued the following statement in response to Senate's vote on the motion to proceed on the House-passed American Health Care Act:

"Today, the Senate has moved forward to consider misguided legislation, any version of which will hurt millions of people across the country and tens of thousands of hardworking people across Maine," Senator King said. "I've never seen a process like this before with no hearings and it will almost certainly produce a terrible bill that will drastically raise costs for people in Maine, put coverage out of reach for many others, and reduce Medicaid funding, causing states to choose between helping seniors or children or people with disabilities. As the Senate advances with this bill, I will continue to support and protect people in Maine and work to find solutions that keep people covered and make health care more affordable."

The Senate will now begin 20 hours of debate on the American Health Care Act, passed by the House of Representatives in early May. After the 20 hours, the Senate will begin an amendment process to review the legislation before final passage.