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Velazquez on House Passage of Trump Care

May 4, 2017

Velázquez on House Passage of Trump Care

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement regarding today's vote on Trump Care:

"Today, House Republicans bowed to pressure from their extremist political base and the Trump White House. Rather than looking out for the people who sent them to Congress, they voted to kick 24 million Americans off their health insurance.

"They voted in favor of a crushing age tax that will impose premiums on older Americans five times higher than what others pay for coverage. For those Americans who do retain coverage, they voted to raise premiums and deductibles, increasing out-of-pocket costs for working families. They voted to shorten the life of the Medicare Trust Fund and siphon off resources that seniors depend on for long-term care.

"Finally, and perhaps most cruelly, they voted to gut protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. The latest version of this bill – which they voted on without even a Congressional Budget Office analysis – puts another paltry $8 billion toward high-risk pools. Not only has every credible source said this funding is insufficient to protect these Americans, but the approach of high-risk pools have been tried in the past and the result has been the same: health insurance has become out of the reach of those with these conditions.

"This is a shameful day in the House of Representatives and the American people will remember this vote. I take some solace in knowing this bill will either be radically modified or stall in the U.S. Senate. Whatever happens next, I will steadfastly oppose those hell-bent on taking healthcare away from working families and seniors."

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