The House of Representative’s vote on the American Health Care Act today steals from the country’s poor to give the wealthy a tax cut. The bill guts Medicaid funding and expansion, destroys consumer protections against pre-existing condition exclusions, and makes insurance unaffordable for seniors.
It is unconscionable that California’s Republican delegation —many of whom represent districts with 40% or more residents receiving Medi-Cal—has chosen a path of devastation for their districts. With their vote today, they have told the country they are willing to put the abstract interests of the wealthy ahead of their impoverished constituents.
Even if the Senate does not pass the bill—and we will fight tooth and nail to make sure the AHCA dies in the Senate—the federal government has already created mass uncertainty and instability in the health insurance markets. Covered California has been an exemplar of how a state can create a thriving health exchange, but even our robust collaboration may not be able to withstand the corrosive politics from Washington.
Western Center calls on Californians to share their stories here of how the Affordable Care Act has helped them, and to reach out to friends and family in states with Republican Senators to contact their representatives and urge them to vote “no” on the AHCA.
Western Center on Law & Poverty Staff
