Senate Votes to Repeal Affordable Care Act, Reactions Ensue
"Passage of the reconciliation bill last night was a shameful display of contempt for women’s health on the part of the United States Senate."
By - The United States Senate voted 52-47 last night in support of the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act (H.R. 3762.) This bill, which repeals segments of the Affordable Care Act, apparently slashes the Planned Parenthood budget by millions of dollars.
"Passage of the reconciliation bill last night was a shameful display of contempt for women’s health on the part of the United States Senate. If it were to become law, this bill would reverse the significant gains the [ACA] has brought and decimate women’s access to comprehensive reproductive health care,” stated Debra L. Ness, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
“This appalling legislation guts the ACA, the greatest advance for women’s health in a generation. It would repeal Medicaid expansion, blocking millions more people from getting the health care they need.”
“It would defund Planned Parenthood, denying millions of women high-quality preventive care, including birth control, cancer screenings, screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and abortion care.”
The bill, added Ness, is yet “another callous attempt by anti-choice, anti-women senators to score political points at the expense of women’s health, well-being and economic security.”
Senate also passes amendment to repeal Cadillac Tax
The Senate also voted 90-10 yesterday to repeal the Cadillac Tax – a 40 percent excise tax set to kickoff in 2018.
Both Democrats and Republicans support repeal of the Cadillac tax, explained Twila Brase, President of the Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom.
“Republicans should not accept a repeal of the Cadillac tax in any form or through any other bill without the repeal of Obamacare. Yesterday’s bipartisan Senate vote to repeal the 40 percent tax demonstrates that repeal of the Cadillac tax is a powerful lever that Republicans can use to persuade Democrats to repeal the entire law. The GOP should not relinquish this power until Democrats agree to repeal the law,” asserted Brase.
“If the House accepts and President Obama signs the bill, it would begin to unravel the destructive coverage provisions of the law — the parts of the law that the public is acutely aware of, but not the hidden parts of the law that are causing extensive damage to personal control over health care decisions and the trusted and confidential patient-doctor relationship.”
Does the healthcare industry now need to start over?
“Six years ago, Republicans warned the president about the disastrous consequences of Obamacare for millions of Americans,” stated Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) within a floor speech earlier this week amidst the Senate’s legislative debate.
“Unfortunately for these Americans, Republicans were right when we said that Obamacare would burden state Medicaid budgets, increase premiums and taxes, and hurt jobs. We need to start over and go step by step toward the goal of reducing health care costs.”
“I renew our invitation to the president, and if he doesn’t accept our invitation, I extend it to our next president: Forget about party, forget about this side or that side, and side with the American people whose premiums went up, who lost plans they liked, whose Medicare has been raided, whose state budgets have been destroyed, and whose jobs have been lost.”
“Work with Republicans in Congress to fix the damage Obamacare has done to health care in America. Work with us to replace Obamacare with real reforms that lower costs so more Americans can afford to buy insurance.”
Editor's note: Since publication of this article, the House passed a bill to repeal President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.
