Rep. Underwood: “This is the crisis that Republicans have created: ripping coverage away from millions of Americans and raising costs for millions more.”
Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL), former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, and former Special Assistant to the President for Health Care Jessica Schubel participated in a press call hosted by Defend America Action to discuss Donald Trump’s health care crisis ahead of a possible government shutdown.
Trump’s self-inflicted health care crisis has stripped coverage from 15 million Americans, driven up costs for millions more, and forced hundreds of hospitals to close – all to pay for massive tax breaks for big corporations and the ultra-wealthy. The speakers highlighted how Trump and Congressional Republicans are gutting Americans’ health care access through the one-two punch of Medicaid cuts in the Big, Ugly Bill and ending Affordable Care Act tax credits, which help millions of Americans afford their premiums. Trump and Republicans are insisting on shutting the government down rather than fixing the health care crisis they created.
“The Big, Ugly Bill cuts more than $1 trillion for health care, including the largest cut to Medicaid ever. It will cause a $500 billion cut to Medicare. Hospitals and nursing homes will close, and they will not come back, putting even more strain on our health care system. This is the crisis that Republicans have created: ripping coverage away from millions of Americans and raising costs for millions more,” said Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL). “The simple reality is that if we allow these health care tax credits to expire, we will return to an America where families go without health care. We cannot allow that, and House Democrats are united in protecting health care for working families.”
“The bottom line is that this law is harmful to all of us, but this crisis is not inevitable. It is a choice. Republicans in Washington are choosing to side with billionaires and big corporations instead of protecting the health care that families across this nation count on,” said former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “People across this country deserve a health care system that is both affordable and accessible. Regular, hardworking Americans should not have to make hard decisions between receiving care for back pain or a cough over affording groceries or rent.”
“President Trump’s and the Republicans’ health care agenda has been clear from the get-go. They are making it as hard as possible for working Americans to get health care. It is a choice that they’re making. It’s that simple,” said former Special Assistant to the President for Health Care Jessica Schubel. “Under Trump’s agenda, people are going to go without essentials, and the biggest budget buster is health care. People are simply not going to sign up. They’re going to roll the dice and hope they don’t get sick, break an arm, or get into an accident. Restoring the cuts the Republicans made to Medicaid earlier this year and extending the enhanced ACA subsidies is the right thing to do. Republicans should choose hardworking American families and not the wealthiest among us.”
BACKGROUND
Republicans rammed a deeply unpopular, unaffordable tax break for the wealthiest people in the country through Congress, and they’re paying for it by raising costs, taking away health care, and slashing school lunches for working families. This is a health care crisis created by Republicans, and rather than fix it, they are instead threatening to shut the government down.
- SLASHING HEALTH CARE ACCESS FOR AMERICANS: Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill will raise health care costs and kick over 15 million Americans off health care entirely, all to pay for a massive tax break for the ultra-wealthy. Trump’s bill will also force over 330 hospitals and 570 nursing homes to close across the country.
- TENS OF MILLIONS FACING HIGHER HEALTH CARE COSTS: Over 20 million Americans will pay up to 90 percent more for their health care coverage due to Republicans ending premium tax credits. Premiums alone will skyrocket by an average of 18 percent for over 24.3 million Americans enrolled in affordable ACA coverage.
- MORE AMERICANS UNINSURED: Roughly 4.2 million people will become uninsured due to Republicans ending premium tax credits.
- HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS KILLED: An estimated 286,000 jobs nationwide will be lost due to lower economic output.
###