In Elizabeth Warren's words, "TrumpCare isn't a health care bill. A bill that destroys health care for millions to shovel cash to the rich isn't a health care bill. …It still strips coverage from millions. Still guts Medicaid. …TrumpCare will devastate Americans' healthcare. Families will go bankrupt. People will die. Disease, sickness, and old age touch every family. Tragedy doesn't ask who you voted for. Health care is a basic human right." Even so, Ryan's TrumpCare bill passed the House yesterday 217-213.
I don't think anyone expected the members from North Carolina to stand up for regular working families and oppose TrumpCare yesterday and they did not disappoint. Only one of the ten Republicans from North Carolina voted no so, kudos to Rep. Jones. NC-3. His co-workers, on the other hand, were all too happy to vote your healthcare away. Rep. Virginia Foxx, NC-5, said “We are on a rescue mission, and this vote is an important step in repealing a failed law and delivering free-market, patient-centered solutions." Mark Meadows, NC-11, said “From the earliest stages of the discussion, I’ve stated that my goals were to 1) bring down premiums for Americans, and 2) protect those with pre-existing conditions.” Did you even read the bill before you voted or did you all pull a “Chris Collins”?
As CNBC put it, hours before the vote: “The Republican bill to repeal and replace Obamacare does not allocate nearly enough money to protect people with pre-existing health conditions from potentially higher insurance premiums, an analysis finds. The bill's $23 billion in funding specifically for such people would cover just 110,000 Americans, or 5% of the current 2.2 million enrollees with some type of pre-existing conditions according to the Avalere Health study released Thursday.”
This was an immoral and fiscally irresponsible attempt to undo the gains made in improving 24 million citizens’ access to health care. Under the Affordable Care Act we saw benefits such as the reduction of the needless crushing debt many households face when confronted with a simple medical procedure.
Instead of supporting the AHCA which increases insurance premiums, limits coverage and kicks people into high risk pools, they could have stood with other members of the House and Senate who were ready to adopt simple improvements to the existing law. While I support legislation that would move us to a single payer system, small changes to the ACA would have been a welcome step over the repeal and replace of yesterday. It is now our time to repeal and replace those who voted for Trump Care. Donate now to help win in 2018!
Candidates that are running against North Carolina’s notorious nine are
www.marshallforhouse.org
mattcoffay.com
www.mcw4congress.com
canoforcongress.com