Bill Cassidy
Senator for Louisiana · Republican · United States
“Mr. President, I rise in support of the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. Free markets empower people to live freely. When there is information held by a monopoly which cannot--and I, the consumer, can't figure out what that information is, it takes away my freedom of choice; it takes away my economic freedom because I am going to end up p…”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“I can promise you, when you do that, the place charging $500 is going to begin lowering the rate. This is about doing something positive for patients. Senators Marshall and Hickenlooper and the HELP Committee majority and minority staff put together the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, and, again, it gives the patient power.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“So what we are trying to do is do something about that by giving the patient the power, giving her economic freedom by saying: This is how much it costs at this place, and this is how much it costs at that place. Let's put a point on it. A pediatrician orders an x ray for a child, a chest x ray.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“I will also note that Mr. Blanche is criticized for things over which he has no control. He points out that he has been criticized for Presidential pardons given to January 6 rioters, some of whom assaulted police officers. Many of us were here then. But this is a Presidential prerogative, and he is not the President.”
Senate7 August 2026Source ↗
“When former Attorney General Bill Barr endorsed Mr. Blanche, he said Mr. Blanche ``will run the department as effectively as anyone could under President Trump.'' Some called that faint praise. I don't think that it is; I think it is a reality. Barr specifically addressed the allegation that Mr.”
Senate7 August 2026Source ↗
“Presidents of both parties have been guilty of this. It must stop. It should stop now. A never- ending cycle of prosecuting political enemies undermines the rule of law, degrades the public's trust in our institutions, and makes our politics more extreme when we need to unite to solve the big problems of our time.”
Senate7 August 2026Source ↗
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“Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent to enter into a colloquy with Senator Durbin for up to 30 minutes.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate4 August 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate27 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the following interns in my office to be granted floor privileges until July 23, 2026: Anna Shaffer and David Rockett.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“This administration has been very aggressive promoting transparency. I am pleased to say that a significant portion of the MVP agenda passed out of committee; it is going to be headed to the President's desk soon; and, most importantly, individuals will have more money in their pocket and better coverage for their health.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“They begin to shrink the amount going for benefits, which increases the amount somebody has for the rest of their life. Now, let me just go back to the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. This is the most expansive, aggressive, comprehensive, patient-focused, business owner-focused piece of legislation for price transparency that has ever passed in Congress. If we pursue further healthcare bills--for example, reconciliation--we can move the ``money in your pocket'' portion, but this would stand on its own--a bipartisan piece of legislation that passed almost unanimously out of committee today and which would benefit almost every American who has got employer- sponsored insurance. It is a huge first step. We will reconcile with the House, which has passed their own version of price transparency.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Your benefits--principally, what you pay for your health insurance-- is the next biggest slice. The more healthcare costs, the more bread you spend on benefits. The less your healthcare costs, the more bread goes into your salary. Now, for those people who grew up in the sixties, ``bread'' was the word they used for ``money.'' So think about this as being something literal: You have more money in your pocket not just because we have put money into your health savings account but because, as you pay less for insurance, you have less money to pay out of your pocket for the insurance, and the more money you get to keep to live the rest of your life. We have been talking about people's wages not growing. Boom. That is how wages start to grow again.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“If we have put $2,000 into your health savings account, you can choose that higher deductible because the first $2,000 is covered, and that higher deductible means that you have a lower premium. The business owner saves money. He can use it to increase wages. But the employee saves money because their share of the premium is likewise less. So I try to put it this way: If you have the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act and we are able to put money in the pocket and the patients choose the more affordable plan, they pay less. And if you look at the amount of money going to someone's salary--can I see that one. This is the total compensation package that someone gets when they are employed. Now, some of it goes to payroll taxes. That is a fixed portion. That is going out of your income. There is nothing you can do about that.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“If you know that if you get your colonoscopy here it is $1,000 and if you get it over there it is $5,000, I can promise you that the place charging $5,000 is going to lower the price. And the patient with the prefunded health savings account--remember, in the MVP plan--they will have money in their pocket. They have an extra incentive. I use the example of the woman whose child has an earache. She says: Hey, Siri, which urgent care center near me has the best afterhours price for an appointment for an earache? Well, here, it is $50; there, it is $250. She is going to go where it is $50, but the one that charges $250 is going to lower their price.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“By the way, let's get back to our restaurant metaphor. When you go and they don't tell you the price, you kind of have a sense that no matter what you order, you are going to come out substantially poorer. But you are a little bit tight. You go in--you know, maybe when I was a teenager on a date, this was more common--and I can order the surf and turf with the lobster and the filet mignon, and it is going to cost me four times what the spaghetti costs. Now, depending on my budget, I may decide to get the spaghetti. I still have a great meal, still walk away full, nutrition is all satisfied, but because I had the price, I was able to control how much I spent. That is what price transparency does, and the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act begins to give them that price transparency. Now, by the way, that promotes competition.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“If we have a health savings account or if you are just paying cash or in some way you are responsible for the goods and services that you are purchasing, you are going to be told the price. Why is that? Why is that important? A cardiologist friend told me recently--a couple of years ago, actually--of a cardioversion for atrial fibrillation. If you did it in the doctor's office, it costs you $130; if you did it in the hospital, it costs you $13,000. Now, would it make a difference to someone, if they had a $4,000 deductible, to know that they either pay $130 if they went to the doctor's office or they pay the full deductible and the insurance company pays more but they pay 20 percent of that more if they went to the hospital? I think it would. So price transparency lowers the cost of being insured and increases wages over time.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“He has been prepped, which means that his colon has been cleaned out and he has been having diarrhea for about 6 hours. He has a gown on that covers everything but the derriere, a thin sheet above him. And he is given a lot of pieces of paper to sign, and at that point, he has the ability to ask ``How much does this colonoscopy cost?'' Now, that is--you are beyond the point of no return. You are not going to find actionable items, if they are even able to give you the price, at that point. You have already ordered at the French restaurant where they don't show you the price, and they are bringing the food to the table, and by golly, you are going to pay for it no matter how much it is. But we have passed the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, and that means that now, the patient is going to be told how much something costs.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Usually, if that is the case for my wife and me--in fact, always--we excuse ourselves after having a couple of crackers, and we say: Thank you very much, but we have a crying baby at home. We look a little bit old for a baby. Well, it is a grandchild. The point being: If they are not telling you the price, probably you can't afford it. Now, audience, people watching, anybody here, when is the last time you went to a hospital and you said ``Show me the price. Show me the price.'' It just doesn't happen. Do you know there are actually laws out there? But I can tell you, if you ask ``Show me the price,'' you are going to cause confusion. Now, I am a doctor. I have been in this environment. I always kind of admire--kind of chuckle. I am a gastroenterologist. I used to do colonoscopies. So the patient is there.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“A family is not paying that off every month. It turns out they are paying the minimum balance due. How do we know that? Because the percentage of income going to credit card interest has almost tripled over the last number of years. They are paying the minimal amount and carrying greater and greater debt in order to make ends meet. Well, they are not really making ends meet; they are just trying to get by right now. So that is what is stressing the importance of having a plan that actually addresses their needs, not some abstract ``Oh, can't we do it in the by and by, and it may make some indirect difference.'' No. You can directly help a family by putting money in the pocket and coupling that with price transparency to bring value to the patient. Now, I have some good news.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“But if you are one of those who are just having a hard time making it happen, if we look at the things we think of as being expensive-- utilities, entertainment for the family, car payments, groceries, college tuition--it just keeps on climbing--a mortgage. More expensive than all for a family of four is healthcare. That is our problem. So I have been trying to address it with something that I call the MVP agenda. We, under this plan, would give up to $2,000 to a family of four in a prefunded health savings account, and you add that to price transparency. So money in your pocket with value for the patient--the MVP plan. It seems really ambitious, but let me just put a little bit more of a point on why this is important. The average family is carrying $10,000 in credit card debt. Now, think about that--$10,000.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I have been coming up here and talking about, well, a couple of things. How much does healthcare cost? Right now, people watching from the Gallery, people watching at home, people who happen to be in here--all of us are experiencing a commonality, which is that healthcare is incredibly expensive. By the way, you may say: No, I have great insurance. It pays for everything. No, that is coming out of your wages. You are a successful businessman. The people you employ, when you buy them insurance, that comes out of their compensation otherwise, and that is a reality. The more you pay for health insurance, the less you get paid in your pocketbook because it is coming out of the same bucket.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Booker.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate complete its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution. Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 810, which is at the desk.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agree to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 809, which is at the desk.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the concurrent resolution. Mr. CASSIDY. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Con Res. 37, which is at the desk.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, as regards Calendar No. 44, S. 1041, the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 44, S. 1041.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the following interns in my office to be granted floor privileges until July 22, 2026: Mark Schoeppel and Maggie Ralston.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the postcloture time with respect to the Flowers nomination be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow; further, that the cloture motions filed during Monday's session of the Senate ripen following disposition of the Flowers nomination; that if cloture is invoked on the Martin nomination, the postcloture time be expired at 2 p.m.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“As we approach a new reconciliation bill, work on funding the government, other legislative vehicles, we should consider including WOTC as we extend it not just to those who traditionally have benefited but also to military spouses. Let's get this done for their sake, for our sake. I yield the floor.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“That is why in the Working Families Tax Cuts bill, if you received SNAP benefits and you are able-bodied and you can work, then you should. But WOTC helps those who have been out of the workforce rejoin the workforce and supports the businesses along the way. When somebody gets a good job, they get more than an income. They find stability. They become independent. They have self-respect. They have a tool with which to achieve the American dream. And that is why I think we must reauthorize WOTC, which expired last December.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“WOTC provides an incentive, a little bit of a buffer, a little bit of a credit in terms of whether you hire that person. If there is an extra expense, if there is a little bit more turnover in that group of people whom you hire, the WOTC would--that tax credit, work opportunity tax credit--benefit the company. Now, I truly believe my observation in life that one of the most meaningful ways to strengthen a person's future, to support their family, and to uplift their community is by taking the skills that you know you have and finding a job in which you can meaningfully use those skills; a job in which you are happy to go to work and you are happy to come home. Yes. You love your vacation, and you love your weekend, but you are proud to have that job.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Again, they had to relocate so often that their work history looks like they can't keep a job. But WOTC would give an employer a Federal tax credit if they hire that military spouse, benefiting the employee, the employer, and rewarding that spouse who sacrificed just as much as the servicemember. So instead of making service a barrier to employment, WOTC rewards it for providing the military spouse the opportunity to build a stable, rewarding career. And in our country, that is how we should treat those who served our country in the military. Now, there are others whose circumstances prevent them from getting a good job; the mom who took off to raise children and is now getting back into the workforce; the lower income family coming off of welfare.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“And if you are coming off of welfare and you have a difficult time getting a job, you are more likely to go back on welfare. If you are the trailing spouse and every 6 months you have moved and then your husband or your wife separates from the military, the trailing spouse has a difficult time because you look at the work record; she or he has been moving every 6 months. It is difficult for that employer to take a leap on someone with that kind of a record. All of these people can benefit from the Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act, which we call WOTC. WOTC is a bill that makes it easier to get a job if you are someone who, for one reason or another, might have a difficult time doing so. So we have mentioned the spouse of someone in the military.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“The same employer told me that they went to Fort Polk, an Army facility in Louisiana, and recruited the young men and women upon their separation because they just knew how to work with a team. They just knew how to work within a command structure. They had leadership ability, and he really made--his business made a real effort to get those people into a job. Now, those are happy stories of people getting out of jail, getting out of the service. It could be a trailing spouse who otherwise might have a problem finding a job, but in this man's employment, they got a great job. Now, in other cases, we hear of veterans having a difficult time being placed. We find that those people coming out of prison have a difficult time. Those people coming off of welfare have a difficult time getting a job.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act Mr. President, when I go back to Louisiana, I meet with people around the State. Some things stand out. I went to a business once, and there was a fellow working. And the gentleman who was taking me around his business said: That guy over there 20 years ago got out of prison, and he has been the greatest employee we have ever had. There is nothing that is more of an anti-recidivism program than somebody getting a job and keeping a job and learning how to feed their family in an honest way.”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, Scripture says that ``greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.'' Deputy U.S. Marshal Drew Hanson was a member of the Western District of Louisiana's Fugitive Task Force. More importantly, he was a husband, a father, and tragically he was shot and killed while arresting a man on sexual battery charges. Deputy Hanson displayed the greatest love; love for his country, love for justice, love for others. The man who murdered him took his life, yes. But no criminal, no weapon can take a man's honor, courage, or legacy. Mr. President, I ask for a moment of silence for Drew's family, for his friends, for his community, as we know they are grieving tremendously. (Moment of silence.)”
Senate21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the following interns in my office to be granted floor privileges until July 15, 2026: Mason Lam and Harper Alspach.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“So my challenge to the Senate, to the House, and to the President: Let us come together. Let us get things done. Let us work for the American people. Ask any Uber driver, ask our constituents: What is the biggest issue right now? And they will say: Affording life. Affording life means to be able to afford healthcare. And, Mr. President, with the MVP health agenda, we help our constituents afford healthcare. With that, I yield the floor.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“We can't get that done--no way. But, folks, we have actually achieved a lot on healthcare in the last few years. The No Surprises Act blocks about a million surprise medical bills per month for the American people. A PBM reform bill, which was signed into law by President Trump a few months ago but that was negotiated by Congress--and it was tough, but we actually got it so that the value to the patient in terms of lower drug prices, if you will, cutting out or restricting activities of the insurance company in the middle--we got that through. The administration is working on TrumpRx, which allows patients to buy drugs without hidden costs. So if we are going to make healthcare affordable to the American people, we have to build on that record, and we have to work together.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Now, we are making steps on this. Right now in the HELP Committee-- the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee--of which I am the chair, we are working on price transparency legislation. We hope to get that passed in the next 2 weeks out of Committee, and we hope this passes on the floor of the Senate. This is how we bring value to the patient, by bringing the power of price transparency, as she chooses what healthcare and where to get her healthcare. Now, we can get this done. Whenever there is a big idea like this, how do we actually help the American people with affordability? How do we actually put money in their pocket and couple it with tools that would give them the power of price transparency, in order to bring money in their pocket and value for the patient? People say: Oh, that is too big.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“So if you know, if you have price transparency, if you say, ``Wait a second; I am going to have at least a thousand dollars out of pocket because of my deductible, but if I paid cash right now and don't go through my insurance, it only cost me $600,'' you are going to bring value to the patient. In this transaction, under the MVP plan, there would have been money placed into her health savings account. She could have used--in this case, she did it on her own--price transparency to find out the price. So there is money and value for the patient. We take the power away from the middleman, the power away from the insurance company to approve or disapprove of the care that the patient knows that she needs; and, instead, we would give the money directly to her, with the tools of price transparency to bring value to the patient.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“I was up here in DC once. Actually, I remember we were having a crawfish boil. Every year, Louisiana people have a crawfish boil. And there was a woman who saw me on the street. She stopped me. She said: Hey, Dr. Cassidy. And I said: Yes. She said: I am from Texas, but I saw that you gave a speech about price transparency, and that if I paid cash, it would be cheaper than if I went through my insurance. So the doctor ordered an MRI on my son's shoulder, and they told me it was going to cost $2,000. Well, my deductible was whatever it was--say a thousand dollars. So I said: How much, if I pay you cash? They said: Well, if you pay us cash, it is only $600. In this case, paying cash was cheaper than paying her deductible.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Under our plan, we would give an advance, an income tax credit, to the family--on average, for a family of four, about $2,000-- that would go into an account that they use to pay for their benefits. By the way, this is paid for. This is paid for. But they would prefund a health savings account. Now, we don't give it to the insurance company because, if you give the money to the insurance company to subsidize the premiums, the insurance company takes 20 percent of it for overhead and for profit. You give it to the individual or family, and they are going to use 100 percent of it for the healthcare that they need. Now, we have coupled that. So it is money in your pocket. We couple that by adding value, price transparency, so that the family knows the price they pay before they go in for the service. That could be powerful.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“So they put it on the credit card, and that credit card debt mounts. Indeed, if you look at the percent of income that Americans are now paying upon credit card interest, which means that they are carrying a balance, it has risen from about 1 percent to 3.2 percent. So 3.2 percent of their income is going to pay for interest on credit cards. This shows that they are rolling these big credit card balances forward. So with credit card balances not paid, but being the minimal amount being paid, they are up to $10,000. Much of this relates back to: How do you pay for healthcare? I don't have the money in my account. So I am going to use my credit card in order to pay for these large deductibles. Well, I have got a way to address that, Mr. President. We call it the MVP Act.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Now, it may be something like a routine visit, which is covered. They may have preventive care covered, like a mammogram or a screening colonoscopy. But, typically, they have got to put up $2,600, on average, if they go to the emergency room after a car wreck, and only then does the insurance begin to kick in. Now, why is that important? Because most families have less than $500 of cash in order to pay for their healthcare. In previous speeches, I have talked about how people are putting their healthcare expenditures on their credit card. And that credit card debt factors into 60 percent of household bankruptcies. So they have a $3,000 deductible, and they don't have the money in their bank account. Their child gets sick, and they bring them to the emergency room. They don't have the $3,000.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“The other thing to recognize is that, when it begins to rise too much, then the employer pays less and less for the employees' health insurance. This can be manifested in a couple ways. Instead of paying 80 percent of the cost of the policy, they may pay only 60 percent. Or the small business may decide to get a less expensive policy, in which case they increase the deductible. Now, the deductible is what we pay out of pocket before the insurance kicks in. That is the problem. And so, if you look at, since about 2000, the amount of deductible at a big business is about $1,700. At a small business, for a single worker, among workers with a deductible, it is now about $2,600. So before the insurance begins to work for the employee, they have to come up with, on average, $2,600 to pay before the insurance kicks in.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Ultimately, that is why somebody comes to Washington. Some people come to Washington to be a Senator. Others come to Washington to do something as a Senator. Lindsey was someone who came to Washington to do something as a Senator. I speak for myself, but I echo what colleagues have said. Lindsey Graham shall be missed. Healthcare Mr. President, we have got to do something about healthcare. Now, I am a physician. You might think I--of course, Bill cares about it. I can tell you who cares about it is the American people. I was with an Uber driver last night: What do you think--you know, if you were the President, Uber driver, what would you be talking about right now? She said: I can't afford things. I can't afford my gas. I can't afford my groceries, my housing. I can't afford my healthcare. Now, that has been echoed.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“He told me: Bill, you are good at policy, but you are a terrible politician. And I would say that many people knew exactly what he was talking about. At one point, I was talking to him about healthcare. He said: Oh, Bill, don't talk to me about policy. It gives me headaches. But he said he would fight to get it passed. We came up short but not because he did not and I did not fight. Once he said: I am going to go on ``FOX Morning.'' If I go on ``FOX Morning,'' I know the President is watching. And if the President is watching the ``FOX Morning'' show and I say we should be fighting to replace Obamacare, it will get the President engaged. He just knew how to find that audience that was important. He knew how to speak to them. He had a great sense of humor, and, again, he knew how to get things done.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise, as so many others have, to give tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham. Lindsey was effective as a Senator, in large part, because he was so well-liked by colleagues and because he liked them in return. He was affable, always willing to work with others, regardless of how different backgrounds, beliefs, and positions were. He just focused on getting things done and had the courage to take on issues that others would not. We collaborated on something called Graham-Cassidy, a bill which would have replaced Obamacare with coverage for everyone--literally everyone--but at a lower cost than the Affordable Care Act. I always chuckle when I say the Affordable Care Act. And we were a good team because we complemented each other. I was a doctor, always thinking about healthcare. He was the politician's politician.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“McClelland later left home to pursue a degree at LSU and, subsequently, an impressive teaching career. She served her community for 35 years as a teacher, educating the next generation of Louisiana's leaders. Now living in Elton, LA, Mrs. McClelland remains steadfast in her faith and thankful that the Lord continues to bless her with the things and people she needs to live well. Mrs. McClelland's fearlessness and hard work, combined with her deep faith in God, make her a true embodiment of what makes Louisiana so wonderful, and we could all learn from her example. When asked the secret to her long life, she replied, ``Eat right, follow God's rule, and exercise.'' What great advice. ____________________”
Senate29 April 2025Source ↗