State Innovation Waivers CRA

Did the Vote Pass? No
Voted Yea 42
Voted Nay 52
Didn't Vote 4
Voted Present 0

Economy and Free Markets

ntroduced by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), S.J.Res. 52 targets guidance issued by the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services that made it easier for states to get “state innovation waivers” under Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Trump administration has taken regulatory steps to provide more affordable private health insurance options through association health plans and short-term, limited-duration plans. In October 2018, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued guidance that further eases the process of applying for and receiving a waiver.

The October 2018 guidance focuses on the coverage that is made available on the exchanges by health insurance companies rather than what consumers had purchased. States must still meet statutory requirements to be eligible for a waiver, but the guidance explains that the comprehensiveness and affordability requirement may be considered met “if access to coverage that is as affordable and comprehensive as coverage forecasted to have been available in the absence of the waiver is projected to be available to a comparable number of people under the waiver.”

If an individual decides to purchase a more affordable, less comprehensive plan, the comprehensiveness and affordability requirement under Section 1332 will be met because there will be more comprehensive offerings on the exchanged that they could have opted to purchase.

The guidance issued by the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services is not a cure-all for the issues that America’s health insurance system faces. Much more has to be done to address these issues, particularly through the legislative process. Unfortunately, congressional Democrats aren’t interested in solutions; many want more government involvement and the elimination of private health insurance.

Legislator's Votes

Official's Name	Party	District	Voted
Tammy Baldwin	Democrat	WI	Yea
Dick Blumenthal	Democrat	CT	Yea
Sherrod Brown	Democrat	OH	Yea
Maria Cantwell	Democrat	WA	Yea
Ben Cardin	Democrat	MD	Yea
Tom Carper	Democrat	DE	Yea
Bob Casey	Democrat	PA	Yea
Susan Collins	Republican	ME	Yea
Chris Coons	Democrat	DE	Yea
Catherine Cortez Masto	Democrat	NV	Yea
Tammy Duckworth	Democrat	IL	Yea
Dick Durbin	Democrat	IL	Yea
Dianne Feinstein	Democrat	CA	Yea
Kirsten Gillibrand	Democrat	NY	Yea
Maggie Hassan	Democrat	NH	Yea
Martin Heinrich	Democrat	NM	Yea
Mazie Hirono	Democrat	HI	Yea
Tim Kaine	Democrat	VA	Yea
Angus King	Independent	ME	Yea
Amy Klobuchar	Democrat	MN	Yea
Patrick Leahy	Democrat		Yea
Joe Manchin	Democrat	WV	Yea
Ed Markey	Democrat	MA	Yea
Bob Menendez	Democrat	NJ	Yea
Jeff Merkley	Democrat	OR	Yea
Chris Murphy	Democrat	CT	Yea
Patty Murray	Democrat	WA	Yea
Gary Peters	Democrat	MI	Yea
Jack Reed	Democrat	RI	Yea
Jacky Rosen	Democrat	NV	Yea
Brian Schatz	Democrat	HI	Yea
Chuck Schumer	Democrat	NY	Yea
Jeanne Shaheen	Democrat	NH	Yea
Kyrsten Sinema	Independent	AZ	Yea
Tina Smith	Democrat	MN	Yea
Debbie Stabenow	Democrat	MI	Yea
Jon Tester	Democrat	MT	Yea
Tom Udall	Democrat	NM	Yea
Chris Van Hollen	Democrat	MD	Yea
Mark Warner	Democrat	VA	Yea
Sheldon Whitehouse	Democrat	RI	Yea
Ron Wyden	Democrat	OR	Yea
Lamar Alexander	Republican	TN	Nay
John Barrasso	Republican	WY	Nay
Marsha Blackburn	Republican	TN	Nay
Roy Blunt	Republican	MO	Nay
John Boozman	Republican	AR	Nay
Mike Braun	Republican	IN	Nay
Richard Burr	Republican		Nay
Shelley Capito	Republican	WV	Nay
Bill Cassidy	Republican	LA	Nay
John Cornyn	Republican	TX	Nay
Tom Cotton	Republican	AR	Nay
Kevin Cramer	Republican	ND	Nay
Mike Crapo	Republican	ID	Nay
Ted Cruz	Republican	TX	Nay
Steve Daines	Republican	MT	Nay
Mike Enzi	Republican	WY	Nay
Joni Ernst	Republican	IA	Nay
Deb Fischer	Republican	NE	Nay
Cory Gardner	Republican	CO	Nay
Lindsey Graham	Republican	SC	Nay
Chuck Grassley	Republican	IA	Nay
Josh Hawley	Republican	MO	Nay
John Hoeven	Republican	ND	Nay
Cindy Hyde-Smith	Republican	MS	Nay
Jim Inhofe	Republican	OK	Nay
John Isakson	Republican	GA	Nay
Ron Johnson	Republican	WI	Nay
John Kennedy	Republican	LA	Nay
James Lankford	Republican	OK	Nay
Mike Lee	Republican	UT	Nay
Mitch McConnell	Republican	KY	Nay
Martha McSally	Republican	AZ	Nay
Jerry Moran	Republican	KS	Nay
Lisa Murkowski	Republican	AK	Nay
Rand Paul	Republican	KY	Nay
David Perdue	Republican	GA	Nay
Rob Portman	Republican	OH	Nay
Jim Risch	Republican	ID	Nay
Pat Roberts	Republican	KS	Nay
Mitt Romney	Republican	UT	Nay
Mike Rounds	Republican	SD	Nay
Marco Rubio	Republican	FL	Nay
Ben Sasse	Republican	NE	Nay
Tim Scott	Republican	SC	Nay
Rick Scott	Republican	FL	Nay
Richard Shelby	Republican	AL	Nay
Dan Sullivan	Republican	AK	Nay
John Thune	Republican	SD	Nay
Thom Tillis	Republican	NC	Nay
Pat Toomey	Republican	PA	Nay
Roger Wicker	Republican	MS	Nay
Todd Young	Republican	IN	Nay
Michael Bennet	Democrat	CO	Missed
Cory Booker	Democrat	NJ	Missed
Bernie Sanders	Independent	VT	Missed
Elizabeth Warren	Democrat	MA	Missed