It’s Go Time! Where’s the Movement?

The biggest thing that is happening in Washington in the next two weeks isn’t on the front page of the newspaper. The most important law that will be passed this year will not get a hearing! Senators who campaigned with glowing promises of improving America’s health care system are refusing to meet with hospitals, health care providers, health advocates or their own voters. Their response is simple: the phone lines are quiet; nobody cares what we do. Apparently we didn’t make our message clear. It is go time! Call today!

The Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly told President Trump that the Senate will vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act before July 4. While this new law will result in 23 million Americans losing their health insurance and many millions more losing protections such as maternity and reproductive coverage, newspapers and TV news are largely ignoring this story.

The most important legislation of the year is being drafted by 13 male Republican Senators without any input from patient advocates, hospital associations, or doctors and other health provider groups. A handful of Republican Senators – McCain, Collins, Portman, Moore Capito & Murkowski – have been complaining to the press that McConnell’s process is not fair or transparent. This has resulted in the world’s tiniest pool of crocodile tears. Senate Republicans have only 52 votes for the ACA repeal - any three Republican Senators can demand any process that they want in exchange for their vote. These brave public servants know they are selling out their constituents but apparently they can’t help themselves.

It is true that we have already asked you more than once to call, write and protest against the American Health Care Act and in favor of fixing the Affordable Care Act. This is one of the defining issues of our time and it is time for relentless persistence in our efforts. If Republicans pass this dreadful law, the health insurance markets will be thrown into chaos for years to come. Individuals and families in our neighborhoods and communities will suffer catastrophic harm. We all know we can do better as a society.

Call to Action

Call both your Senators regardless of whether they are Republicans or Democrats.

Tell your Republican Senators:

  1. We demand open hearings on the proposed changes in our health insurance system and coverage protections. This was a complaint by these very same Republicans when the original ACA was passed. Now, they don’t seem so concerned.
  2. Fix the ACA insurance markets, don’t gut the ACA protections.
  3. Remind them that Donald Trump promised a replacement for the ACA that insures everyone with “much better coverage and lower premiums.” There is no evidence that this will be the outcome of the current legislative efforts.

Tell your Democratic Senators to use every tool in the Senate Rule book to stop this runaway train.