Fighting Back: “Republicans are trying to take away your health care”

August 4, 2018 JanF Editors' Choice, Fighting Back 3

 
 

The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz.

(Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI): “Republicans are trying to take away your health care”)

The Trump administration is fighting in federal court to take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions,” said Brian Schatz (D-HI). “If this Supreme Court nominee[, Brett Kavanaugh,] gets through the process, it will be harder than ever for Americans to access health care. It will be harder for women to access reproductive care. It will be harder for patients to keep the protections that they deserve and need. That’s why this fight is so important. There is too much at stake to do nothing. So please raise your voice and join us in the fight for health care.”

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

A transcript will be posted if one becomes available.

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Congress is in recess so there was no weekly news conference by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

From her newsroom:

Pelosi Statement on July Jobs Report

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after the Department of Labor reported that workers’ wages increased only 0.3 percent over the past month, and the economy created 157,000 jobs, below job growth in May and June:

“July’s jobs report shows that the wealthiest 1 percent and big corporations continue to hoard the benefits of the GOP Tax Scam for the rich, while American workers are denied the bigger paychecks they deserve.

“Hard-working Americans continue to be stuck paying the price for the Republicans’ special interest agenda. Families are drowning under the weight of stagnant wages, higher health costs from the GOP sabotage and skyrocketing prescription drug prices from the same Big Pharma companies that were just handed massive tax breaks. Now, even after exploding the deficit with their completely unpaid-for $2 trillion tax breaks of the GOP Tax Scam for the rich, Republicans are now trying to bend or break the law to hand another $100 billion tax break to the wealthiest 1 percent, all at the expense of working and middle class families.

“The American people deserve so much better than the raw deal they are getting from the cynical Republican special interest agenda. Democrats are fighting to deliver A Better Deal For The People, with a plan to lower health costs and prescription drug prices, increase Americans’ pay through strong economic growth by rebuilding America and clean up corruption to make Washington work for the people.”

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On July 26th, Senate Democrats held a news conference on the one year anniversary of the failure of the Republican Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Finance Committee Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Senate HELP Committee Member Chris Murphy (D-CT) accompanied by Leslie Dach of Protect Our Care, Catherine Buxton, a Planned Parenthood patient, and Samantha and Josephine McGovern of the Little Lobbyists will hold a press conference ahead of the one year anniversary of the failure of the Senate Republican Trumpcare repeal bill to highlight the GOP’s politically-motivated efforts to sabotage the American health care system ever since. Thanks to the American people speaking out, Senate Republicans were unable to pass their radical Trumpcare bill, which would have removed important consumer protections for people with pre-existing conditions, left tens of millions uninsured, and raised health care costs on millions more. Senate Democrats will explain that after that defeat, Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have continued their all-out assault on our current health care system, committing a series of acts aimed at weakening and threatening the American health care system, resulting in higher premiums and putting vital protections and health care rights on the judicial chopping bloc

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3 Comments

  1. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on the Trumpcare Junk plans:

    Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the Trump Administration’s final rule allowing for the massive expansion of so called ‘short-term, limited-duration’ junk health coverage plans that don’t provide essential coverage and exclude people with pre-existing conditions, at the same time that open enrollment for ACA Marketplaces for 2019 begins this fall:

    “Republicans’ latest health care sabotage advances dangerous junk insurance plans that can discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and put families just one diagnosis away from disaster.

    “After an illness or an injury, many Americans who enroll in these GOP junk health coverage plans will end up being hit by crushing medical bills, finding that they have been paying for coverage that doesn’t cover much at all. Families will be denied key benefits such as hospitalization, prescription drugs and maternity, mental health and substance abuse care. Under the Trump Administration’s junk health coverage rule, people with pre-existing conditions will face new discrimination and higher insurance premiums in the marketplaces as well.

    “The GOP health agenda means dismantling protections for people with pre-existing conditions, shattering the guarantee of Medicare and Medicaid and handing billions in enormous tax breaks to the same Big Pharma companies hiking prices on seniors and working families. Democrats are offering A Better Deal for the people, with stronger health protections, better coverage and lower prescription drug costs for all.”

    News coverage of the new health “insurance” plans:

    Today, the Trump Administration issued a final rule allowing for the massive expansion of so called ‘short-term, limited-duration’ junk health coverage plans that don’t provide essential coverage and exclude people with pre-existing conditions, at the same time that open enrollment for ACA Marketplaces for 2019 begins this fall.The GOP is now touting ‘cheaper’ health care, but the American people know the truth. Under this rule, people with pre-existing conditions will face new discrimination and higher insurance premiums in the marketplaces.

    POLITICO: Trump whacks Obamacare by boosting short-term health plans

    The short-term plans are cheaper in part because insurers can refuse to cover people with pre-existing conditions and limit coverage of expensive services like mental health treatment. Short-term plans also typically cap coverage, so customers can still end up getting socked with expensive medical bills.

    Bloomberg: Short-Term Health Plans Backed by Trump Are Cheap for a Reason

    Short-term health plans with a history of consumer complaints will get a larger role in the U.S. insurance market under a Trump administration plan to expand alternatives to Obamacare.

    The temporary plans, which were originally intended for people between jobs, are allowed to offer coverage that’s far skimpier than what the Affordable Care Act requires.

    New York Times: What to Know Before You Buy Short-Term Health Insurance

    The Trump administration has just completed rules that will allow people to shop for a new kind of health insurance. So-called short-term plans will be offered for relatively long periods … But the plans are cheaper for a reason: They tend to cover fewer medical services than comprehensive insurance, and they will charge higher prices to people with pre-existing health problems, if they’ll cover them at all.

    (Links to the news articles are at the link.

  2. Thanks, Jan! This business of dismantling the ACA is so disheartening! The Dems should run and win on health care!

    OMG, if we take back the house, do you realize that we’ll have Nancy (Madam Speaker) Pelosi? And do you further realize that if Trumpence are indicted she would become PRESIDENT?

    A woman president. Not quite how we envisioned it, but still…

    A woman can dream, can’t she?

    • Yes, a woman can dream! If nothing else, having a Democrat second in the line of succession would be an enormous relief. Do you realize that if Republicans hold the Senate, the dotard Chuck Assley of Iowa will be third in the line of succession? Good lord, that is way too close.

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