22 Million Americans Could Lose Healthcare if Senate Bill Passes
Leon W. Russell, Chair of the NAACP Board, today issued the following statement in response to the release of the Congressional Budget Office’s report on the impact of the American Health Care Act, also known as Trumpcare.
“The news from the Congressional Budget Office that the Senate’s secret backroom deal to repeal health care will cost 22 million Americans their coverage proves one thing: Republicans are only interested in providing huge tax breaks to the wealthy, not in protecting our health.
“The reality is that communities of color will be particularly hard hit by Trumpcare. Under this bill, insurers could charge African-Americans and other seniors as much as five times what they charge young adults for coverage. At the same time, Trumpcare will be an assault on black women, preventing Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding and forcing women to once again pay more for their health.
“And all the while, Trumpcare will give nearly $700 billion to big corporations and the wealthy, including with a special tax loophole for health insurance companies that pay their CEOs many times more than the joint income of the average Black family.
“During his campaign, President Donald Trump asked African-American communities across this nation what we would have to lose by voting for him. And today, the answer is this – our health.
“The Senators who have supported Trumpcare can still forget about this attack on our nation’s health care system, and help us to keep what works in the Affordable Care Act and fix what doesn’t. But if they don’t, know this – African-Americans won’t forget it if our elected officials put tax breaks for the one-percent ahead of quality, affordable health care for all of us.”
