U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says Congress needs to act soon to shore up the federal online health insurance marketplaces.
The Illinois Democrat says he welcomes bipartisan Senate hearings to discuss long-term ways to improve coverage for millions of Americans. But for now, he says swift action is needed to address the higher insurance premiums and the increased costs of prescription drugs.
"We can't cut off the oxygen to our healthcare system to wait for a miracle cure. We've got to continue to keep it alive as we move to make changes to make it stronger."
Durbin said action on health care may be delayed by other issues because lawmakers must approve a federal budget and raise the debt ceiling by the end of September.