“A No Vote Today is a Vote For Full Repeal,” says Brad Woodhouse
Washington DC — Today, 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 authorizes the House Counsel to intervene in the Texas, et. al. vs. United States, et. al. lawsuit to defend the Affordable Care Act and all of its protections. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, calls on House Republicans to join their Democratic colleagues and vote to pass this resolution in the following statement:
“A no vote on today’s resolution is a vote for the full repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Republicans can no longer pretend this lawsuit is a theoretical exercise. Judge Reed O’Connor ruled to strike down the entire law, going further than any ACA repeal bill the House voted on in the last two years. By voting ‘no,’ Republicans are saying they want this ruling to stand and they want every clause, period and participle of the ACA repealed.
“Let’s be clear: a ‘no’ vote means supporting taking away coverage from millions of people, raising the costs for millions more, and taking away protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Republicans and President Trump were hammered at the polls in November for this very lawsuit and for their years-long repeal and sabotage agenda. We’ll find out today if they got the message – and if not – we’ll tag them with repeal and all of its consequences all over again. Win win ”
A new poll from Public Policy Polling (PPP) for Protect Our Care released yesterday demonstrates the vulnerability of Republicans on this issue. The poll found that well 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, here’s what would happen:
- 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.