For Immediate Release:
March 24, 2017
Media Contact:
Robyn Shapiro, robyn.shapiro@
HCAN Statement on Failed House Effort to Repeal the Affordable Care Act,
Slash Medicaid, Raise Costs, and Take Away Health Care from Millions of Americans
Here is a statement from Margarida Jorge and Ethan Rome, co-directors of Health Care for America Now (HCAN), in response to the decision by House Republicans to cancel today’s vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
“Today House Republicans failed in their effort to take health care away from 24 million people, slash Medicaid, and raise health care costs for all families in order to give $465 billion in tax cuts to the very wealthy and the big insurance and drug companies. This bill would blow a hole in state budgets and put consumers with pre-existing conditions at risk so the wealthiest 400 Americans can get a tax break of $7 million a year.
“This is a victory for democracy and for American families. Constituents have been speaking up and speaking loudly against the Republican repeal plan. Hundreds of thousands of people have participated in protests across the nation. The Affordable Care Act is more popular than ever. But Americans oppose the GOP plan by three-to-one.
The Republicans in the House and Senate should scrap their plans to take away people’s care to give tax cuts to the rich. Instead of playing politics, Congress should focus on improving and strengthening the existing law.”
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Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is the national grassroots coalition that ran a $60 million five-and-a-half year campaign from 2008-2013 to pass, protect, and promote the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and protect Medicare and Medicaid. HCAN has come back together to fight the Republicans’ all-out effort to take away America’s health care and put people at the mercy of the health insurance companies again.
