Bronx, NY - On Thursday, in response
to the passage of the American Health Care Act, New York State Assembly Member
and DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake released the following statement:
“The passage of the American Health Care
Act by House Republicans is a tragic betrayal of public trust. Today, the
House acted irresponsibly by passing a bill that will lead to a loss of
coverage for 24 million people, raise costs and severely weaken coverage for
pre-existing conditions. It is inhumane and an international embarrassment by
Congressional Republicans to choose politics over saving lives. As a baby, I
was born with a heart murmur; my mother is a breast cancer survivor, and I
represent an Assembly District with a disproportionate number of residents
facing health inequities. It is personal when access to health care is denied
to those who are most vulnerable.
"Congressional Republicans continue to
play politics with the lives of close to 24 million Americans, and if this bill
becomes law, hundreds of thousands of people who have relied on the Affordable
Care Act to detect and treat serious illnesses will be at risk for more serious
illness and a more difficult quality of life. This is one of few instances
where the US Congress has shown a clear disregard for the welfare of American
people.
"Trumpcare is not a replacement for
Obamacare but rather a tax break for the top one percent disguised as an
attempt to lower costs while giving drug and insurance companies the bulk of
nearly $600 billion in new tax breaks. This bill eliminates the Affordable Care
Act's subsidies based on a person's income and cost of coverage and replaces
them with lower subsidies based mainly on a person's age. Currently, more than
80% of A.C.A. enrollees benefit from these subsidies. It loosens the age-band
so that insurance companies can charge older people at least five times more
than younger people. Equally despicable, it weakens the protections for those
with pre-existing conditions and especially targets women by denying
protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, C-section, and
postpartum depression.
"These are not the values of the American
people, and we must continue to hold our representatives in Congress
accountable. We must continue to make our voices heard and actions seen. As it
goes before the Senate, we must demand that our leaders shut this bill down.
"Universal health care is a right, not a
privilege, and our leaders should act accordingly. Today reminds us why we must continue to
#Resist and reject this unjust and unconscionable behavior by Congressional
Republicans. If they want to take away our health care, then we should take
away their jobs in Congress.”
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