Today, Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Following that vote, Washington State Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz released the following statement:
“Today, House Republicans took a vote that can be viewed at best as a partisan gesture to the extreme right wing of their party and at worst can be considered an affront to millions of middle class Americans. The repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as approved by House Republicans, would have two primary consequences: Americans would be stripped of patient protections and health insurance would become more unaffordable for families and for America as a whole.
“The Republican-approved repeal legislation enables insurance companies to take away individuals’ insurance coverage when they get sick or deny it to them in the first place; it takes Americans’ health care decisions out of the hands of their doctor and puts them into the hands of their insurance provider; it enables insurance companies to raise premiums suddenly and without justification; and it increases America’s deficit by $1 trillion over the next twenty years.
“Unfortunately Reps. Reichert, Herrera Beutler, Hastings, and McMorris Rodgers were among those who are trying to get rid of those critical benefits – taking away Americans’ health care freedoms. They have reneged on their promise to stand up for
Washingtonians and their actions would saddle Washington’s children with unnecessary and burdensome national debt. I am extremely disappointed by the vote of Reichert, Herrera Beutler, Hastings, and McMorris Rodgers to take these protections from Washington’s families, and I applaud Reps. Inslee, Larsen, Dicks, McDermott, and Smith for doing what is necessary to protect the Affordable Care Act, protect America’s fiscal future, and protect Americans’ health care freedoms.”
1/19/10
