SPLC: Senate should fix Affordable Care Act, not repeal it
The following statement, urging the U.S. Senate to fix problems with the Affordable Care Act instead of repealing it, is by Sam Brooke, deputy legal director at the SPLC:
“We were deeply disappointed with the U.S. Senate’s original health care reform bill. Today’s new version, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, is no better. It still seeks to eviscerate Medicaid, and it rolls back or undermines key protections made available under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Tens of millions of Americans would be stripped of their access to affordable care.
“While the bill has many flaws, by far the most significant is its effort to defund Medicaid – a critical program that provides health care for people with disabilities, for seniors in nursing homes, and for impoverished families who need this security so that they can work and contribute to our nation’s economy. If this cruel bill were to become law, many of the most vulnerable people in our country would be left to fend for themselves.
“For sure, there is much to be concerned about with our current health care system, including high costs and unstable insurance markets. Practical solutions can be found. But rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater, Senate leaders should abandon this bill and start working across party lines to actually fix the problems.
“This is not about Obama or about Trump. This is about ensuring that we have a fair and functional health care system that serves every American. We need real leadership and courage from our elected officials in Washington, D.C. The first step is to reject the Better Care Reconciliation Act.”
