In response to Sen. Joe Manchin announcing he would not support the Build Back Better legislation, Health Care for America Now Executive Director Margarida Jorge released the following statement:
“Sen. Joe Manchin claims to care about struggling families and seniors in his state, but his actions tell a completely different story. Sen. Manchin’s reckless refusal to support the Build Back Better plan leaves millions of families, seniors, veterans and children without access to affordable health care and no hope of more affordable prescriptions. Instead of protecting the Child Tax Credit that helps millions of families, his decision would leave in place loopholes and tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations who have already spent decades dodging taxes while the rest of us pay our fair share.
“Build Back Better will make significant progress to expand access to affordable health care for millions of Americans, including millions of people who have waited a decade for Medicaid coverage. Closing the Medicaid coverage gap, extending premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans, allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and expanding Medicare coverage for hearing will ensure many more Americans get access to the affordable services they need without having to risk their health or go deep into debt. These are all popular, widely supported reforms that are already long overdue and fully paid for by requiring the wealthiest Americans and corporations to finally pay more taxes to support the economy that has made them so rich.
“Not only does Sen. Manchin’s announcement sabotage Democrats who have worked for years on these reforms; it’s a betrayal to millions of families, workers and seniors who are counting on Senator Manchin to side with them over his corporate donors and wealthy special interests. We urge Sen. Manchin to reconsider his decision, get on the right side of history and help pass Build Back Better.”
