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 rust. 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.”
Statement From Bronx Democratic Party Chairman Marcos A. Crespo
The healthcare bill passed yesterday by House Republicans is a threat to the health and livelihood of all New Yorkers and especially to our Bronx constituents. Not only is this bill disastrous and but it would also have an inhumane impact on how residents of The Bronx have access to affordable healthcare.
The damage that this bill could inflict upon our lower income citizens, including families with children and the elderly, by causing millions of Americans to lose their health insurance - the majority of which would have been eligible for Medicaid - is unsurmountable. Let alone the Republicans incentive that would allow insurers to discriminate against citizens with pre-existing conditions, which would leave more Americans than ever before without coverage.
But worst of all, is the cruel attempt from House Republicans to deny women access to their reproductive healthcare services by declaring that services that treat women for c-sections, sexual assault and postpartum depression are now pre-existing conditions.
It is because of these threats to eliminate essential healthcare services for our constituents that our Congressional Officials from the Bronx, Adriano Espaillat, Eliot Engel, Joseph Crowley, and Jose M. Serrano all lead the vote against this measure.
It is because of these threats to eliminate essential healthcare services for our constituents that our Congressional Officials from the Bronx, Adriano Espaillat, Eliot Engel, Joseph Crowley, and Jose M. Serrano all lead the vote against this measure.
As Bronx Democrats, New Yorkers and Americans, we not only thank them for their constant leadership, but for their efforts and for their fight on all of our behalf, as we pledge to support them in their continued efforts to end the Trump Care Act.
STATEMENT FROM STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA
"In a shameful and disgraceful move, House Republicans passed the so-called "American Health Care Act" which, in their quest to repeal the Affordable Care Act, will jeopardize the healthcare of at least 24 million Americans. House Republicans adamantly pushed for a bill that not only restricts women's access to critical healthcare, but also turns its back on the millions of Americans suffering from pre-existing conditions, including sexual assault victims, domestic violence survivors, and new mothers having postpartum depression or a C-section. Simply put, this bill looks to strip away health coverage from the sick and the poor in our country, leaving the taxpayer to foot a larger healthcare bill in the long run. As the Ranking Member of the New York Senate's Health Committee, I cannot stand idly by while this appalling partisan measure strips New Yorkers from the health care they need. That is why I am committed to working harder than ever to pass the single-payer bill I proudly sponsor in the New York State Senate and finally provide New Yorkers with the healthcare they deserve."
