| Lawmakers who were elected to stand up and fight for their constituents voted for a plan that will be disastrous for them.
A final bill that looks anything like Republicans’ proposals so far would leave millions of Americans uninsured. This was a vote to hurt people, plain and simple. All to score political points. It’s wrong. It’s shameful. Here are the facts: The latest version of the bill that the Republican leadership has cobbled together takes a blow torch to the most important preventive care and treatment currently covered by health insurance for those grappling with opioid addiction — a crisis that’s currently ripping the heart out of our country. It would slash Medicaid, which covers 64 percent of nursing home residents — around seven in 10 of whom are women. And it eviscerates the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) Medicaid expansion that provides millions of Americans with access to affordable health care. The Republican leadership still wants to drag us back to a time — not all that long ago — when Americans could be denied basic health care because they couldn’t afford it. And they’re not particularly concerned with what will happen next. That’s really where we are today. It’s enough to make your blood boil. If the Republican leadership actually understood working Americans, they’d know that these are the sorts of thoughts that keep folks up at night: Can I pay for this treatment? What happens if she gets cancer? How will I feed my family and afford the care? That’s why, when the ACA became law and health coverage was extended to millions more people, it was about something so much bigger than a partisan political victory. It meant we had finally decided, as a nation, that health care was a right for all and not a privilege for the few. Republican leaders in Congress believe the opposite. And if they take that peace of mind away, they’ll have to look tens of millions of Americans in the eye and explain to them they have to start worrying again. We’ve got to keep the pressure on through these next 15 months and beyond. Chip in what you can for American Possibilities and join me today: https://www.americanpossibilities.org/donate If Republican leadership really wants what they say they want — to improve the ACA — then let’s first come to an agreement that everyone should have health coverage. Then, based on that premise, let’s have a debate about how best to improve care and reduce costs. Let’s again make the commitment that in America, health care is a right for all, not a privilege for the wealthy. I’m honored to continue fighting alongside you. -Joe |
