Rep. Lee: Graham-Cassidy is a Betrayal of our Fellow Americans
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement on the Graham-Cassidy proposal to block grant Medicaid and take away health care coverage and protections for millions of Americans:
“Every American will get sick at some point. When a child is having an asthma attack, or a parent has been diagnosed with dementia, or a spouse is fighting metastatic cancer, families should be able to focus on care – not cost.
“Graham-Cassidy would prevent people from getting the health care that they need. It would dramatically raise premiums, forcing our loved ones to make impossible choices between medicine and the mortgage, doctors’ visits and electric bills. Insurance companies would return to the banished practices of the past, peddling junk health care plans that fail families when they need help the most. Older Americans on the brink of retirement would be subject to an exorbitant age tax. People with pre-existing conditions would once again be priced out of lifesaving care.
“The unprecedented cuts to Medicaid would be felt across the country. Low-income families, seniors in long-term care, and disabled Americans would lose lifesaving care. These punishing cuts would disproportionately hurt those who can least afford it – children, the poor, and communities of color.
“When Members of Congress are elected, we are entrusted with the health and safety of our constituents. Graham-Cassidy is a cruel betrayal of our fellow Americans and our values as a nation. Make no mistake: the American people are watching this vote, and they will make their voices heard.”
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