For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Contact: Morgan W. Grogan, morgan.williams@
GOP Confirms Big Pharma Profiteer to Lead HHS
Azar Will Pick Up Mantle of Sabotaging the Affordable Care Act, Ending Medicaid as We Know It, Favoring Insurance and Pharmaceutical Companies Over Everyday Americans
Washington, D.C. – In response to the Senate’s vote to confirm President Trump’s nominee, Alex Azar, as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), Health Care for America Now Co-Directors Ethan Rome and Margarida Jorge released the following statement:
“Alex Azar is unfit to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He failed to assure Americans he will put their health care ahead of the profits of Big Pharma and he favors ending Medicaid as we know it.
“Azar’s confirmation comes as our country battles the opioid epidemic perpetuated by pharmaceutical companies, everyday Americans fight for access to life-saving drugs like insulin made unattainable by corporate price gouging, and the number of uninsured has increased for the first time since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect. But instead of working to improve our health care system or vowing to execute the law, Azar has pledged to continue President Trump’s ACA sabotage campaign to dismantle the law piece by piece. His resume is a laundry list of attacks on working families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities. From working tirelessly to expand profits as a top executive at Eli Lilly to lobbying for deep cuts to Medicaid, Azar always puts profit above people.
“More than ever, Americans need a health care champion who will fight against big corporations and work to expand access to affordable care. Azar is the wrong choice.”
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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.
