“Republicans are now on notice and it’s time to put up or shut up,” says Brad Woodhouse
Washington DC — Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will hold a vote on a stand-alone resolution, which takes direct aim at the relentless repeal and sabotage campaign on health care by Republicans and President Trump. The resolution specifically authorizes the House Counsel to intervene in the Texas, et. al. vs. United States, et. al. lawsuit to defend the Affordable Care Act and its protections. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, which held scores of Republicans accountable in November for their repeal and sabotage agenda, calls on the House to support and pass this resolution in the following statement:
“The impending vote on this resolution shows the American people that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats are fighting for them and their health care just as they promised to do in November. During the mid-term election, Republicans repeatedly lied about their record on pre-existing conditions in a desperate attempt to conceal their extreme anti-health care agenda. But make no mistake, Republicans are now on notice and it’s time to put up or shut up. If Republicans truly cared about protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions, they would join their Democratic colleagues and vote to pass this resolution to intervene in a lawsuit that is already jeopardizing the care and benefits millions of Americans enjoy. If this lawsuit is successful the fallout would be devastating to millions of Americans and if Republicans continue to support litigation that would deny care to millions, their political problems on this issue only stand to grow.”
A new poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) for Protect Our Care released today demonstrates the vulnerability of Republicans on this issue. The poll found that more than half of voters oppose the recent court decision striking down the Affordable Care Act and sixty-nine percent of voters say it’s a major concern to them that the court case would eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and asthma.
BACKGROUND:
Due to Judge O’Connor’s ruling on December 14th, Republicans are one step closer to repealing the Affordable Care Act and eliminating key protections, unleashing — as the Trump Administration itself admitted in his court — “chaos” in our entire health care system. If this ruling is allowed to stand:
- Marketplace tax credits and coverage for 10 million people: GONE.
- Medicaid expansion currently covering 15 million people: GONE.
- Protections for more than 130 million people with pre-existing conditions when they buy coverage on their own: GONE.
- Allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26: GONE.
- Free annual wellness exams: GONE.
- Ban on annual and lifetime limits: GONE.
- Ban on insurance discrimination against women: GONE.
- Contraception with no out-of-pocket costs: GONE.
- Limit on out-of-pocket costs: GONE.
- Requirement that insurance companies cover essential benefits like prescription drugs, maternity care, and hospitalization: GONE.
- Improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs for prescription drugs: GONE.
- Closed Medicare prescription drug donut hole: GONE.
- Rules to hold insurance companies accountable: GONE.
- Small business tax credits: GONE.